>J> 


Qis  l-  a  cern 


piece  of  work. 


Page  185. 


THE  LOST  GOLD  OF 
THE    MONTEZUMAS 

A   STORY    OF    THE    ALAMO 

BY 

WILLIAM   O.   STODDARD 

AUTHOH    OF    "DUMLEY's   1'OST,"    "CROWDED   OUT   o'CROFIELD," 
"  THE    TALKING    LBAVES,"    ETC. 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS     BY 

CHARLES  H.  STEPHENS 


PHILADELPHIA 

J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY 
1898 


Copyright,  1897, 

BY 

J.  B.  Lippin-cott  Company. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

The  Gods  of  the  Montezumas 7 


CHAPTER  II. 
The  Alamo  Fort 18 


CHAPTER   III. 
The  Dream  of  the  New  Empire 41 

CHAPTER   IV. 
The  Race  for  the  Chaparral 52 


CHAPTER  V. 
Among  the  Bushes 70 


CHAPTER   VI. 
The  Old  Cash-Box 84 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Escape  of  the  Rangers 98 

3 


M1890S 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

PAGE 

The  Camp  at  the  Spring 113 

CHAPTER   IX. 

The  Skirmish  in  the  Night     128 

CHAPTER   X. 
A  Baffled  Pursuit 144 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Charge  of  the  Lancers 151 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Horse-Thieves  and  the  Stampede 163 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Last  of  Tetzcatl 178 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

The  Perilous  Path 193 

CHAPTER   XV. 

The  Return  of  the  Gold  Hunters 208 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Army  of  Santa  Anna 228 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  First  Shot 242 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

PAGE 

Crockett's  Alarm  Gun 257 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
The  Reinforcement 275 

CHAPTER   XX. 
Nearinq  the  End 290 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

"  This  is  a  terrible  piece  of  work" Frontispiece. 

'•Good!     Tetzcatl  go  to  the  Alamo" 20 

"Heap  dollar,"  remarked  Red  "Wolf 100 

"Ugh!"  screeched  the  Comanche  at  the  end  of  a  terrific 

minute,  and  he  sank  into  the  grass 138 

In  rode  the  very  airy  captain  of  lancers 259 

A  dark,  stern,  terrible  shape  half  rose  from  a  couch  ....  307 


THE  LOST  GOLD  OF 
THE    MONTEZUMAS 


>•  •  » 

>    j 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE    GODS    OF    THE    MONTEZUMA.-. 

IT  was  a  gloomy  place.  It  would  have  been 
dark  but  for  a  heap  of  blazing  wood  upon 
a  rock  at  one  side.  That  is,  it  looked  like  a 
rock  at  first  sight,  but  upon  a  closer  inspection 
it  proved  to  be  a  cube  of  well-fitted,  although 
roughly  finished,  masonry.  It  was  about  six 
feet  square,  and  there  were  three  stone  steps 
leading  up  in  front. 

Behind  this  altar-like  structure  a  vast  wall 
of  the  natural  rock,  a  dark  limestone,  had  been 
sculptured  into  the  shape  of  a  colossal  and  ex- 
ceedingly ugly  human  face, — as  if  the  head  of 
a  stone  giant  were  half  sunken  in  that  side  of 
what  was  evidently  an  immense  cave. 

There  were  men  in  the  cave,  but  no  women 
were  to  be   seen.     Several  of  the  men  were 


8  THE   LOST    GOLD   OF   THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

standing  near  the  altar,  and  one  of  them  was 
putting  fuel  upon  the  fire.  The  only  garment 
worn  by  any  of  them  was  a  ragged  blanket,  the 
Mexican  serajoe.  In  the  middle  of  the  blanket 
was  a  hole,  and  when  the  wearer's  head  was 
thrust  through  this  he  was  in  full  dress. 

There  was  no  present  need  for  carry- 
hsfe  wfeanoris;  btit  arms  of  all  sorts — lances, 
swords,  bows  and  sheaves  of  arrows — were 
strewn  in  careless  heaps  along  the  base  of  the 
wall.  Besides  these,  and  remarkable  for  their 
shapes  and  sizes,  there  were  a  number  of 
curiously  carved  and  ornamented  clubs.  All 
the  men  visible  were  old  and  emaciated. 
They  were  wrinkled,  grimy,  dark,  with  long, 
black-gray  hair,  and  coal-black,  beady  eyes. 
Withal,  there  was  about  them  a  listless,  unoc- 
cupied, purposeless  air,  as  if  they  were  only 
half  alive. 

They  seemed  to  see  well  enough  in  that 
lurid  half  light,  and  they  wandered  hither 
and  thither,  now  and  then  exchanging  a  few 
words  in  some  harsh  and  guttural  dialect  that 
seemed  to  have  no  dividing  pauses  between  its 
interminable  words. 

Nevertheless,  this  was  not  the  only  tongue 


THE   GODS    OF   THE    MONTEZUMAS.  9 

with  which  they  were  familiar,  for  one  of  the 
men  at  the  altar  turned  to  those  who  were  near 
him  and  spoke  to  them  in  Spanish. 

"  The  gods  have  spoken  loudly,"  he  said. 
"  They  have  been  long  without  service.  They 
are  hungry.  Tetzcatl  will  go.  He  will  find 
if  the  Americans  are  strong  enough  to  strike 
the  Spaniards  in  Texas.  He  will  bring  them 
to  serve  the  gods  in  the  valley  of  the  old  kings. 
He  will  stir  up  the  Comanches  and  the  Lipans. 
The  Ajjaches  in  the  west  are  already  busy. 
The  gods  will  be  quiet  if  he  can  arouse  for 
them  the  enemies  of  Spain." 

For  a  moment  the  dark  figures  stood  as  still 
as  so  many  statues,  and  then  a  sepulchral  voice 
arose  among  them. 

"  The  men  of  the  North  will  not  come,"  it 
said.  "  The  Texans  cannot  defend  their  own 
towns  from  the  locusts  of  Santa  Anna.  The 
Comanches  and  the  Lipans  are  scalping  each 
other.  The  Apaches  have  been  beaten  by 
Bravo's  lancers.  All  white  men  need  to  be 
hired  or  they  will  not  fight.  We  have  nothing 
wherewith  to  hire  them." 

A  hoarse  and  mocking  laugh  burst  from  the 
lips  of  Tetzcatl.     "  Hire  them  ?     Pay  them  ?" 


10    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

he  said.  "  No  !  But  hunters  can  bait  wolves. 
If  the  trap  is  rightly  set,  the  wolves  will  never 
reach  the  bait.  They  will  but  fall  into  the  j:>it 
they  are  lured  to.  Come !  Let  us  look  at  the 
fire  that  was  kindled  for  Guatamoczin.  The 
Spaniards  perished  in  the  mountains  when 
they  came  to  hunt  fur  the  hidden  treasures 
of  the  Montezumas." 

Slowly,  as  if  their  withered  limbs  almost  re- 
fused to  carry  them,  the  weird,  dingy,  ghastly 
figures  followed  him  deeper  into  the  cave,  and 
each  took  with  him  a  blazing  pine-knot  for 
a  torch.  Not  one  of  them  appeared  to  be 
aroused,  as  yet,  to  any  especial  interest,  nor 
did  they  talk  as  they  went.  Tetzcatl,  how- 
ever, led  the  way  with  a  vigor  of  movement 
that  was  in  startling  contrast  to  the  listlessness 
of  his  dark  companions. 

There  was  no  door  to  unlock,  there  were  no 
bars  to  remove,  at  the  end  of  their  silent  march. 
The  distance  travelled  may  have  been  a  hun- 
dred paces.  On  either  side,  as  they  went,  were 
stalagmites  of  glittering  white,  answering  to  the 
jointed  stalactites  which  depended  from  the 
vaulted  cave-roof  above.  It  was  a  scene  the 
like  of  which  can  be  found  in  many  another 


THE    GODS    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS.  11 

limestone  formation  the  world  over.  There 
was  nothing  exceptional  about  it,  only  that  the 
specimens  presented  were  numerous  and  finely 
formed. 

The  torches  flared  in  the  strong  currents  of 
air  which  ventilated  the  cavern,  and  their 
smoky  light  was  reflected  brilliantly  from  all 
the  irregular,  alabaster  surfaces. 

The  sculptured  head  of  the  great  idol  over 
the  altar;  the  carefully  maintained  fire;  the 
presence  of  the  aged  keepers,  whether  they 
were  to  be  called  priests  of  the  shrine  or  only 
worshippers,  were  the  distinguishing  features 
of  the  place. 

On  went  Tetzcatl  until  he  reached  a  spot 
where  the  side  walls  approached  each  other, 
with  a  space  of  about  thirty  feet  between 
them.  Here  he  paused  and  waited  until  the 
others,  with  several  who  had  not  before  made 
their  appearance,  arrived  and  stood  beside  him. 
"  There !"  he  said,  loudly,  pointing  with  out- 
stretched hand.  "  Guatamoczin  turned  to  ashes 
upon  the  coals  of  the  Spanish  furnace,  because 
he  refused  to  reveal  this  to  their  greed.  Know 
you  not  that  even  now,  if  the  Spaniards  did 
but  suspect,  there  would  shortly  be  an  army 


12         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

among  the  mountain  passes  ?  Aye !  If  the 
Americans  believed  that  this  were  here,  their 
thousands  would  be  pouring  southward.  All 
Europe  would  come.  Here  is  the  god  that  they 
worship,  but  the  secret  of  its  presence  has  been 
guarded  from  them  by  the  old  gods  of  Mexico." 

"  What  iiood  ?"  asked  a  cracked  voice  near 
him.  "  It  cannot  be  used  to  buy  Texans.  It 
must  remain  where  it  is  until  the  gods  come  up." 

"  Aye  !  So  !"  shrieked  Tetzcatl.  "  We  will 
keep  their  secret  chamber  until  they  come. 
But  the  wolf  does  but  need  to  smell  the  bait, — 
not  to  eat  it.  He  will  come,  if  he  lias  only  the 
scent.  If  the  Texans  were  stirred  to  hunt  for 
the  gold  they  will  never  find,  they  would  but 
gather  offerings  for  the  long  hunger  of  those 
who  dwell  below." 

"  Hark  !"  responded  the  other  speaker.  "  If 
they  ask  for  it,  it  must  go  to  them.  Much  has 
been  paid  them  already.     Hark  !" 

Before  them,  in  regularly  arranged  rows, 
were  a  number  of  stacks  of  what  seemed  to  be 
bars  of  metal,  showing  here  and  there  dull 
gleams  of  yellow.  The  ingots  were  not  large, 
but  their  a^reo-ate  weight  and  value  would  be 
enormous,  if  they  were  gold. 


THE    GODS   OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS.  13 

Opposite,  across  the  passage,  were  other  and 
larger  stacks  of  ingots,  but  these  presented  no 
yellow  surfaces.  Black  rather  than  white  was 
the  prevailing  tint  of  what  Tetzcatl  had  de- 
clared to  be  silver  bullion. 

Not  all  of  the  gold  had  been  smelted  and 
cast,  for  there  were  small  heaps  of  nuggets,  such 
as  come  from  rich  placer  washings. 

Tetzcatl  had  stepped  forward,  lifting  his 
torch  and  peering  into  the  gloom.  Only  a 
step  or  two  beyond  him,  the  floor  of  the  cave 
was  cut  off,  sharply,  by  one  of  the  breaks  or 
"faults"  common  to  all  rock  formations,  the 
token  of  some  old-time  upheaval  or  depression. 
The  rugged  level  began  again  a  few  yards 
farther  on,  but  there  was  no  bridge  across  the 
yawning  chasm  which  separated  the  corre- 
sponding edges.  Three  or  four  heavy  planks 
which  lay  near  indicated  a  possible  means  of 
crossing,  if  need  should  be,  but  no  hand  was 
laid  upon  them  now. 

The  dismal-looking  companions  were  all  lean- 
ing forward  in  listening  attitudes,  intent  upon 
a  roaring,  booming  sound  that  came  up  from 
the  chasm. 

"  They  are  calling,"  said  Tetzcatl.    "  But  we 


14  THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

have  none  to  give  them.  Well  did  I  say  that 
I  must  go." 

"  It  is  too  loud  !"  exclaimed  the  watcher,  who 
had  followed  him  most  closely.  "  They  have 
called  my  name  I" 

Tetzcatl  turned  quickly,  but  he  addressed  yet 
another  of  the  old  men  by  a  long,  many-sylla- 
bled, vibrating  invocation,  and  added  to  it,  in 
Spanish, — 

"  Wilt  thou  go  down  to  the  gods,  or  shall  he 
take  thy  place?" 

"  He  is  gone !"  was  the  quick  but  entirely 
unexcited  rejoinder. 

Tetzcatl  whirled  again  toward  the  gulf,  but 
the  rock-floor  at  his  left  was  vacant.  The 
withered  old  devotee  had  not  hesitated  for  a 
moment,  but  had  plunged  down  headlong. 

During  a  number  of  slow  seconds  no  word 
was  uttered,  and  all  the  while  the  booming  roar 
from  below  diminished  in  volume  until  it  nearly 
died  away. 

"  The  gods  are  satisfied,"  said  Tetzcatl. 

So  seemed  to  think  and  say  his  associates, 
and  they  turned  away  to  walk  slowly  toward 
the  altar,  as  if  nothing  noteworthy  or  unusual 
had  occurred. 


THE    GODS   OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS.  15 

It  is  not  always  easy  to  give  satisfactory  ex- 
planations of  the  sounds  which  are  to  be  heard, 
more  or  less  intermittently,  among  the  chasms 
and  recesses  of  great  caves.  The  flow  of  sub- 
terranean waters,  the  rush  of  air-currents,  the 
effects  of  echoes,  and  many  other  agencies  have 
been  taken  into  account.  As  for  Tetzcatl  and 
his  friends,  they  had  but  formed  and  expressed 
an  idea  which  was  anciently  universal.  This 
voice  from  the  deep  was  but  one  of  the  oracles 
which  have  been  so  reverenced  by  the  primi- 
tive heathenisms  of  many  nations. 

As  for  the  treasure,  from  whatever  placers  it 
had  been  gathered,  its  presence  in  such  a  place 
required  no  explanation.  The  Aztec  kings 
had  but  exhibited  commonplace  prudence  in 
choosing  for  it  so  secure  a  hiding. 

The  cave  was  not  at  all  more  mysterious  than 
might  be  the  underground  vault  of  a  great  city 
bank  or  a  United  States  Sub-Treasury.  It 
was  as  safe  even  from  burglary,  if  the  vault- 
entrance  was  well  guarded. 

More  than  a  score  of  the  grisly,  blanketed 
shapes  were  now  gathered  at  the  altar.  Its 
fire  was  blazing  high,  and  shed  its  red,  waver- 
ing radiance  upon  their  faces,  while  Tetzcatl 


16         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

stood  upon  the  lower  of  the  steps  and  addressed 
them.  He  spoke  altogether  in  their  own 
tongue,  and  they  listened  without  reply  or  com- 
ment. 

When  at  last  he  ceased  speaking,  they  all 
sat  down  upon  the  rock-floor,  and  not  one  of 
them  turned  his  head  while  their  exceptionally 
vigorous  and  active  leader  strode  swiftly  away 
in  the  direction  opposite  to  the  chasm  and  the 
treasure. 

It  was  an  ascent,  gradual  at  first  and  then 
more  rapid,  until  his  walk  became  a  climb  and 
there  were  broken  ridges  to  surmount  at  inter- 
vals. Before  long  he  reached  a  ragged  wall 
of  rock,  where  the  great  hall  of  the  cave  ab- 
ruptly ended.  Farther  progress  would  have 
been  shut  off  but  for  a  narrow  cleft  at  the  left, 
into  which  he  turned.  This  still  led  upward 
until  it  became  little  better  than  a  burrow.  He 
was  compelled  to  stoop  first,  and  then  to  go, 
for  several  yards,  on  all-fours.  Then  there  was 
an  increasing  sunlight,  and  he  stood  erect  amid 
a  tangled  copse  of  vines  and  bushes. 

Above  him  arose  a  craggy  mountain-side. 
Below  him,  a  thousand  feet,  was  a  wooded  val- 
ley through  which  a  narrow  river  ran.     Along 


THE    GODS   OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS.  17 

the  mountain-side,  not  far  below  where  he 
stood,  there  wound  a  plainly  marked  pathway. 
With  a  quickness  that  was  cat-like,  he  de- 
scended to  this  path,  and,  as  he  reached  it, 
he  looked  back  toward  the  now  perfectly  con- 
cealed burrow  he  had  emerged  from. 

"  He  has  gone  down  to  the  gods  !"  he  ex- 
claimed, aloud.  "He  must  have  Spaniards  to 
follow  him.  Tetzcatl  will  bring  upon  them 
the  scalpers  of  the  plains  and  the  riflemen  of 
the  North.  He  will  lure  the  Texans  with  the 
gold  they  will  never  find.  Ha  !  They  will 
gather  none  of  the  treasures  of  the  Monte- 
zumas,  unless  the  gods  come  up  to  tell  them 
of  the  sands  in  the  secret  watercourses  beyond 
the  mountains  and  toward  the  sunset.  Huit- 
zilopochtli  covered  the  gold  gullies  when  the 
Spaniards  came." 

He  had  a  foundation  of  fact  for  his  declara- 
tion. Up  to  that  hour  no  search  had  succeeded 
in  accounting  for  the  quantities  of  yellow  metal 
captured  by  Cortez,  or  for  the  larger  deposits 
declared  to  have  been  hidden  from  him  by  the 
obstinate  chiefs  whom  he  had  slain  for  refusing 
to  tell. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE    ALAMO    FORT. 

UGH !" 
Two  paths  came  out  within  a  few 
yards  of  each  other  from  the  tangled  mazes 
of  a  vast,  green  Bea  of  chaparral.  For  miles 
and  miles  extended  the  bushy  growth,  with 
here  and  there  a  group  of  stunted  trees  stick- 
ing up  from  its  dreary  wilderness.  It  was 
said  that  even  Indians  might  lose  themselves 
in  such  a  web  as  that.  Not  because  it  was 
pathless,  hut  because  it  was  threaded  by  too 
many  paths,  without  way-marks  or  guide- 
boards. 

At  the  mouth  of  one  of  these  narrow  and 
winding  avenues  sat  a  boy  upon  a  mustang 
pony.  At  the  mouth  of  the  other  path,  upon 
a  mule  not  larger  than  the  pony,  sat  one  of 
the  strangest  figures  ever  seen  by  that  or  any 
other  boy.  He  was  short  of  stature,  broad- 
shouldered,  but  thin.  His  head  was  covered 
by  a  broad-brimmed,  straw  sombrero.  Below 
that  was  a  somewhat  worn  scrape,  nowT  thrown 

18 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  19 

back  a  little  to  show  that  he  also  wore  a  shirt, 
slashed  trousers,  and  that  in  his  belt  were 
pistols  and  a  knife,  while  from  it  depended, 
in  its  sheath,  a  machete,  or  Mexican  sabre. 
He  carried  no  gun,  but  the  saddle  and  other 
trappings  of  his  mule  were  very  good.  He 
wore  top-boots,  the  toes  thrust  under  the 
leather  caps  of  his  wooden  stirrups,  and  from 
his  heels  projected  enormous,  silver-mounted 
spurs.  His  hair  was  as  white  as  snow,  and  so 
were  the  straggling  bristles  which  answered  him 
for  beard  and  moustaches. 

He  may  have  been  grotesque,  but  he  was 
not  comical,  for  his  face  was  to  the  last  degree 
dark,  threatening,  cruel,  in  its  expression,  and 
his  eyes  glowed  like  fire  under  their  projecting 
white  eyebrows.  He  had  wheeled  his  mule, 
and  he  now  sat  staring  at  the  boy,  with  a  hand 
upon  the  hilt  of  the  machete.  He  did  not 
draw  the  weapon,  for  the  boy  was  only  staring 
back  curiously,  not  even  lowering  his  long, 
bright-bladed  lance. 

As  for  him,  his  clothing  consisted  of  a  breech- 
clout  and  fringed  deerskin  leggings.  His  belt 
sustained  a  quiver  of  arrows,  a  bow,  and  a 
knife,  but   he   seemed   to   have   no  fire-arms. 


20         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZTJMAS. 

Neither  did  he  wear  any  hat,  and  he  rode 
his  mustang  with  a  piece  of  old  blanket  in 
place  of  a  .-addle. 

The  most  remarkable  thing  about  him,  upon 
a  closer  study,  excepting,  perhaps,  his  brave 
and  decidedly  handsome  face,  was  his  color. 
Instead  of  the  tawny  darkness  common  to 
older  Indians,  lie  had  retained  the  clear,  deep 
red  which  is  now  and  then  to  be  -ecu  among 
squaws  and  their  very  young  children.  He 
was  a  splendid  specimen,  therefore,  of  a  young 
red  man,  and  he  had  now  met  an  old  fellow  of 
a  race  which  had  never  been  red.  He  seemed 
to  know  him,  also,  for  he  spoke  to  him  at  once. 

"Ugh!"  he  said.  "Tetzcatl.  Mountain 
Panther.  Young  chief,  Lipan.  Son  of  Castro. 
Heap  friend." 

The  response  was  in  Spanish,  and  the  boy 
understood  it,  for  he  replied  fairly  well  in  the 
same  tongue. 

"  Good  !  Tetzcatl  go  to  the  Alamo,"  he  said. 
"  All  chiefs  there.  White  chiefs.  Lipan.  Co- 
manche. Castro.  Mexican.  Heap  fighting 
birds." 

At  the  last  words  the  face  of  Tetzcatl  lighted 
up,  and  he  touched  his  mule  with  a  spur.     It 


Good!     Tetzcatl  2:0  to  the  Alamo. 


THE    ALAMO    PORT.  21 

was  time  to  push  forward  if  there  was  to  be  a 
cock-fight  at  the  fort,  but  he  asked  suspiciously 

how  the  young  Li]>an  knew  him.  Had  he  ever 
seen  him  before '! 

"Ugh!  No!"  said  the  boy.  "Heard  tell. 
No  two  Panther.  Heap  white  head.  No  tribe. 
Ride  alone.  Bad  medicine  for  Mexican.  Stay 
in  mountains.     Heap  kill." 

He  had  recognized,  therefore,  the  original 
of  some  verbal  picture  in  the  Lipan  gallery  of 
famous  men. 

"  Si !"  exclaimed  the  Panther,  looking  more 
like  one.  "Tlascalan!  People  gone!  Tetz- 
catl  one  left.  Boy,  Lipan,  fight  all  Mexicans. 
Kill  all  the  Spaniards." 

From  other  remarks  which  followed,  it  ap- 
peared that  the  warrior-  of  the  plains  could  be 
expected  to  sympathize  cordially  with  the  rem- 
nants of  the  ancient  clans  of  the  south  in  the 
murderous  feud  which  they  had  never  remitted 
for  a  day  since  the  landing  of  Cortez  and  his 
conquistadores. 

Moreover,  no  Indian  of  any  tribe  could  fail 
to  respect  an  old  chief  like  Tetzcatl,  who  had 
won  renown  as  a  fighter,  even  if  he  had  taken 
no  scalps  to  show  for  his  victories. 


22         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

The  mustang  had  moved  when  the  mule  did, 
with  a  momentary  offer  to  bite  his  long-eared 
companion,  while  the  mule  lashed  out  with  his 
near  hind  hoof,  narrowly  missing  the  pony. 
Not  either  of  the  riders,  however,  was  at  all 
disturbed  by  any  antics  of  his  beast 

Tetzcatl,  as  they  rode  on,  appeared  to  be 
deeply  interested  in  the  reported  gathering  ;it 
the  Alamo.  lie  made  many  inquiries  concern- 
ing the  men  who  were  supposed  to  be  there, 
and  about  the  cock-fight  The  boy,  on  the 
other  hand,  asked  no  questions  except  with  his 
eyes,  and  these,  from  time  to  time,  confessed 
how  deep  an  impression  tin*  old  Spaniard-hater 
had  made  upon  him. 

"  Mountain  Panther  kill  a  heap,"  he  muttered 
to  himself.  "Cut  up  Lancer.  Cut  off  head. 
Eat  heart.     No  take  scalp." 

Beyond  a  doubt  hehad  heard  strange  stories, 
and  it  was  worth  his  while  to  meet  and  study 
the  principal  actor  in  some  of  the  worst  of  them. 

One  of  the  old  man's  questions  was  almost 
too  personal  for  Indian  manners. 

"Why  go?"  sharply  responded  the  young 
Lipan.  "Son  of  Castro.  Great  chief.  Go 
see  warrior.      See  great  rifle  chief.     See  Big 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  23 

Knife  !  Fort.  Bis;  enin.  Old  Mountain  Pan- 
ther  too  much  talk." 

That  was  an  end  of  answers,  and  Tetzeatl 
failed  to  obtain  any  further  information  con- 
cerning an  assembly  which  was  evidently  puz- 
zling him.  They  were  now  nearing  their  des- 
tination, however.  They  could  see  the  fort, 
and  both  pairs  of  their  very  black  eyes  were 
glittering  with  expectation  as  they  pushed  for- 
ward more  rapidly. 

The  strongest  military  post  in  all  Texas  was 
an  old,  fortified  mission,  and  it  had  been  well 
planned  by  Spanish  engineers  to  resist  probable 
attacks  from  the  fierce  coast-tribes  which  had 
now  disappeared.  An  irregular  quadrangle, 
one  hundred  and  fifty-four  yards  long  by  fifty- 
four  yards  wide,  was  surrounded  by  walls  eight 
feet  high  that  were  nowhere  less  than  two  and 
a  half  feet  thick.  On  the  southeasterly  corner, 
opening  within  and  without,  was  a  massive 
church,  unfinished,  roofless,  but  with  walls  of 
masonry  twenty-two  and  a  half  feet  high  and 
four  feet  thick.  Along  the  south  front  of  the 
main  enclosure  was  a  structure  two  stories  high, 
intended  for  a  convent,  with  a  large  walled 
enclosure    attached.       This    was    the    citadel. 


24    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

Next  to  the  church  was  a  strong  exterior  stock- 
ade, with  a  massive  gate.  There  were  many 
loop-holes  and  embrasures  in  the  enclosing  wall. 
No  less  than  fourteen  cannon  were  actually 
in  position,  mostly  four-pounders  and  six- 
p<  Hinders. 

It  had  been  many  a  long  year  since  a  shot 
had  been  iired  ;it  any  red  enemy,  for  the  re- 
maining tribes,  forced  westward,  wen-  not  fort- 
takers.  Their  incursions,  rarely  penetrating 
SO  deep  into  the  nominally  settled  country,  had 
reference  to  scalps,  horses,  cattle,  and  other 
plunder. 

As  for  other  Texas  Indians,  the  (1reeks, 
Choctaw-,  Chickasaws,  and  other  "United 
States  redskins/'  about  eight  thousand  of  whom 
were  estimated  to  have  crossed  the  northern 
border  and  taken  up  permanent  abodes,  none 
of  their  war-parties  ever  came  as  far  south  as 
the  Guadalupe  River  and  the  Alamo. 

Of  Comanches,  Lipans,  Apaches,  and  the 
like,  the  old  Mexican  State  of  Texas  had  been 
estimated  to  contain  about  twenty  thousand, 
with  numerous  bands  to  hear  from  in  the  un- 
known regions  of  southern  New  Mexico,  Chi- 
huahua, Durango,  Sonora,  and  Arizona.     As 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  25 

yet,  the  strength  of  these  tribes  had  not  been 
broken.  They  were  independent  nations,  not 
recognizing  Spain,  Mexico,  or  any  other  power 
as  entitled  to  govern  them.  Added  to  the  con- 
tinual perplexities  of  whatever  authority  might 
at  any  time  assume  to  control  the  lost  empire 
of  the  Montezumas,  were  sundry  remnants  of 
the  very  fiercest  of  the  old  Mexicans  clans. 

They  were  not  understood  to  be  numerous, 
but  they  held  impenetrated  valleys  and  moun- 
tain ranges  and  forests.  The  boldest  priests 
had  failed  to  establish  missions  among  them. 
It  was  said  that  no  white  man  venturing  too 
far  had  ever  returned,  and  there  were  wild 
legends  of  the  wonders  of  those  undiscovered 
fastnesses. 

During  several  years  prior  to  this  winter  of 
1835,  there  had  been  an  increasing  immigra- 
tion of  Americans  from  the  United  States. 
These  settlers  now  numbered  thirty  thousand, 
or  more  than  six  times  the  Spanish-Mexican 
population,  and  they  had  brought  with  them 
five  thousand  negro  slaves.  Almost  as  a  matter 
of  course,  they  had  refused  to  become  Mexicans. 
They  had  set  up  for  themselves,  had  declared 
their  independence,  and   the  new  provisional 


26         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

republic  of  Texas,  with  Sam  Houston  for  its 
leading  spirit,  was  now  at  war  with  the  not 
very  old  republic  of  Mexico,  under  the  auto- 
cratic military  presidency  of  General  Antonio 
Lopez  de  Santa  Anna. 

It  was  toward  the  middle  of  a  warm  and 
lazy  day,  more  like  a  northern  October  than 
anything  that  should  be  called  winter.  The 
sun  was  shining  brightly  upon  the  walls,  the 
fort,  the  church,  and  upon  the  gray  level 
of  the  enclosure.  It  was  getting  almost  too 
warm  for  active  exercise,  but  there  was  nothing 
going  on  that  called  for  hard  work  from  human 
beings. 

About  twenty  yards  from  the  church  a  long 
oval  had  been  staked  out,  and  a  rope  had  been 
stretched  around  upon  the  stakes.  Outside  of 
this  rope  a  throng  had  gathered  which  was  to 
the  last  degree  motley.  It  consisted,  first,  of 
nearly  all  the  garrison.  There  were  a  number 
of  other  Americans,  of  all  sorts,  and  half  as 
many  Mexicans,  besides  a  few  Spanish-Mexi- 
cans of  pure  imported  blood.  Not  less  notice- 
able, however,  than  any  of  the  others  were  more 
than  a  dozen  Indian  warriors,  in  their  best 
array,  who  stalked  proudly  hither  and  thither, 


THE   ALAMO    FORT.  27 

pausing  to  speak  only  to  white  men  of  high 
degree.  That  is,  they  would  condescend  to 
recognize  none  but  those  whom  they  were 
willing  to  accept  as  their  own  equals,  for  the 
red  man  is  a  born  aristocrat.  At  the  same 
time  they  had  watched  as  closely  as  had  any 
others  the  exciting  combats  going  on  inside  the 
roped  amphitheatre. 

These,  indeed,  were  now  completed,  for  their 
proper  time  had  been  the  cool  hours  of  the 
morning.  It  had  been  a  grand  cock-fight, 
almost  the  national  pastime  of  the  Mexicans, 
and  decidedly  popular  among  their  red  and 
white  neighbors.  Partly,  at  least,  it  had  been 
gotten  up  in  honor  of  the  Comanche  and  Lipan 
dignitaries  who  were  present,  but  it  had  drawn 
to  the  fortress  the  leading  citizens  of  the  nearest 
town,  San  Antonio  de  Bexar. 

There  were  sentries  at  the  open  gate,  of 
course,  but  there  was  no  such  severity  of  mili- 
tary discipline  as  would  prevent  any  man  from 
attending  such  an  affair  as  that. 

The  utmost  courtesy  prevailed.  In  fact,  the 
absolute  good  order  was  something  remarkable. 
The  lower  classes  might  be  supposed  to  be  in 
awe  of  their  superiors  and  of  the  military,  but 


28    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

there  was  something  more  belonging  to  the 
men  and  the  time. 

Only  the  black  men  and  some  of  the  Mexican 

peones  seemed  to  be  without  arms.  Almost 
every  white  man  wore  a  belt  to  which  was  se- 
cured a  knife  and  at  least  one  pair  of  pistols. 
Half  of  them  carried  rifles,  unless,  for  the 
moment,  they  had  leaned  the  long  barrels 
against  a  handy  wall.  The  bronzed  and 
bearded  fact-  expressed  hospitality,  civility, 
hut  every  pair  of  eye-  among  them  wore  an 
expression  of  habitual  watchfulness,  for  all 
these  men  were  living  in  a  state  of  daily, 
hourly  readiness  to  stand  for  their  lives.  Their 
laws,  their  rights,  their  liberties,  and  their  very 
breath  depended  upon  their  personal  pluck 
and  prowess,  for  here  were  the  pioneers  of  the 
Southwest,  the  heroes  of  tin-  American  border. 

Between  the  cockpit  and  the  church  stood 
a  group  toward  which  the  rest  now  ami  then 
glanced  with  manifest  respect.  Central  among 
them  were  two  who  were  conversing,  face  to  face. 

The  taller  of  this  pair  was  a  dark,  scarred, 
powerful-looking  savage,  close  behind  whom 
stood  another  red  man,  every  whit  as  danger- 
ous looking  but  a  head  shorter. 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  29 

The  other  of  the  talkers  was  a  white  man 
nearly  as  tall  as  the  dark  chief.  He  was  blue- 
eyed,  auburn-haired,  handsome,  and  he  had 
an  almost  unpleasant  appearance  of  laughing 
whenever  he  spoke.  Even  while  he  laughed, 
however,  his  sinewy  hand  was  playing  with  the 
hilts  of  the  pistols  in  his  belt  as  if  it  loved 
them. 

"  Travis,"  said  the  warrior,  sternly,  "  Lipan 
fight  Santa  Anna, — now!  What  Texan  do? 
How  many  rifle  come?'' 

"  Why,  Castro,  my  old  friend,"  rej^lied 
Colonel  Travis,  "  he  is  coming  here.  We 
needn't  go  to  Mexico  after  him.  We  can  clean 
him  out  of  Texas  when  he  comes  in,  but  we 
won't  go  with  you  across  the  Rio  Grande." 

Castro  turned  and  said  a  few  words  in  Span- 
ish to  the  shorter  chief  behind  him,  and  most 
of  the  white  men  present  understood  the  fierce 
reply  that  was  made  in  the  same  tongue. 

"  Great  Bear  speaks  for  all  the  Coman- 
ches  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Ugh  !  We  fight  Santa 
Anna  !  Fight  Travis  !  Fight  Big  Knife  !  No 
friend !  Texans  all  cowards.  Coyotes.  Rab- 
bits.   They  are  afraid  to  ride  into  Chihuahua." 

Just  then,  at  his  left,  there  glided  near  him 


30         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

a  new-comer  to  whom  all  the  rest  turned,  at 
once,  as  if  his  presence  were  a  great  surprise. 

"  Tetzcatl  speaks  tor  the  tribes  of  the  moun- 
tains," he  loudly  declared,  and  his  deep,  gut- 
tural voice  had  in  it  a  harsh  ami  grating  tone. 
"We  send  for  the  Comanches.  We  will  be 
with  them  when  they  come.  We  want  the 
Lipans  t<>  ('(.inc.  We  ask  the  Texans  to  come. 
They  will  strike  the  lancers  of  Santa  Anna 
and  save  Texas.  The  chiefs  will  take  scalps, 
horses,  cattle.  Travis,  Tetzcatl  will  show  him 
gold.      Plenty!      Texans  want  gold." 

"There  isn't  any  gold  t*»  he  found  in  Chi- 
huahua," laughed  Travis,  "or  the  Mexicans 
would  ha'  Bcooped  it  in  long  ago.  I  don't 
bite." 

"  Colonel,"  broke  in  a  bearded,  powerful- 
looking  man,  stepping  forward,  kk  I  know  what 
he  means,  if  you  don't.  He  said  something  to 
me  about  it,  once.  The  old  tiger  is  full  of  that 
nonsense  of  the  hidden  treasure  of  the  Monte- 
zumas.     It's  the  old  Cortez  humbug." 

"  Humbug  ?  I  guess  it  is !"  laughed  the 
colonel.  "  I  can't  be  caught  by  such  a  bait  as 
that.  The  Spaniards  hunted  for  it,  and  the 
Mexicans,  too.     No,  I  won't  go,  Bowie.     You 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  31 

won't,  and  Crockett  won't.  We  .should  only 
lose  our  scalps  for  nothing.  We'll  stay  and 
fight  the  Greasers  on  our  own  ground." 

"  Tell  you  what,  colonel,"  responded  his 
friend,  "  let's  have  him  talk  it  out.  You  just 
hear  what  he's  got  to  say." 

"  Well,  Bowie,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  object  to 
that,  but  we've  all  heard  it,  many  a  time.  I 
don't  believe  Cortez  and  his  men  left  anything 
behind  them.  If  they  found  it,  they  just 
didn't  report  it  to  the  king,  that's  all.  That's 
about  what  men  of  their  kind  would  ha'  done. 
Nothing  but  pirates,  anyhow.  Talk  with  old 
Tetzcatl?     Oh,  yes.     No  harm  in  that." 

"  I'd  kind  o'  like  a  ride  into  Mexico,"  re- 
marked Bowie,  thoughtfully,  "  if  it  was  only 
to  know  the  country.  Somehow  I  feel  half  in- 
clined to  try  it  on,  if  we  can  take  the  right 
kind  with  us." 

A  rinfidns:,  sarcastic  laugh  answered  from  be- 
hind  him,  and  with  it  came  the  derisive  voice 
of  another  speaker. 

"Not  for  Davy  Crockett,"  he  said.  "I'd 
rather  be  in  Congress  any  day  than  south  o' 
the  Rio  Grande.  Why,  colonel,  that  part  o' 
Mexico  isn't  ours,  and  we  don't  keer  to  annex 


32    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

it.  What  we  want  to  do  is  to  stretch  out  west- 
ward. But  we're  spread,  now,  like  a  hen  a-set- 
tan'  onto  a  hundred  eggs,  and  some  on  'em  '11 
spile." 

There  was  sharper  derision  in  his  face  than 
in  his  words,  aided  greatly  by  his  somewhat 
peaked  nose  and  a  satirical  flash  in  his  blue- 
gray  eyes.  It  was  curious,  indeed,  that  BO  much 
rough  fun  could  find  a  place  in  a  countenance 
so  deeply  marked  by  lines  of  iron  determina- 
tion. 

Very  different  was  the  still,  set  look  upon  the 
face  of  Colonel  James  Bowie.  The  celebrated 
hand-to-hand  fighter  seemed  t<>  be  a  man  who 
could  not  laugh,  or  even  smile,  very  easily. 

Colonel  Travis  was  in  a  position  of  official 
responsibility,  and  he  was  accustomed  to  deal- 
ing with  the  sensitive  pride  of  Indians.  He 
now  turned  and  held  out  a  hand  to  the  evi- 
dently angry  Comanche. 

"  Great  Bear  is  a  great  chief,"  he  said.  "  He 
is  wise.  He  can  count  men.  Let  him  look 
around  him  and  count.  How  many  rifles  can 
his  friend  take  away  to  go  with  the  Comanches 
into  Mexico  ?" 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Great  Bear.     "  Fort  no  good. 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  33 

Heap  stone  corral.  Texan  lie  around.  Xo 
fight.  No  hurt  Mexican.  Sit  and  look  at  big 
gun.     Hide  behind  wall.     Rabbit  in  hole." 

He  spoke  scornfully  enough,  but  the  argu- 
ment against  him  was  a  strong  one. 

"  Great  Bear,"  said  Crockett,  "  you're  a  good 
Indian.  When  you  come  for  my  skelp,  I'll  be 
thar.  But  you  can't  have  any  Texans,  just 
now." 

The  Comanche  turned  contemptuously  away 
to  speak  to  one  of  his  own  braves. 

"  Castro,"  said  Travis,  "  it's  of  no  use  to  say 
any  more  now,  but  you  and  I  have  got  to  talk 
things  over.  All  of  us  are  ready  to  strike  at 
Santa  Anna,  but  we  must  choose  our  own  way. 
When  the  time  comes,  we  can  wipe  him  out." 

"Wipe  him  out?"  growled  Bowie.  "Of 
course  we  can.  He  and  his  ragamuffins  '11 
never  get  in  as  far  as  the  Alamo." 

"Colonel,"  replied  Travis,  "take  it  easy. 
It's  a  good  thing  for  us  if  the  tribes  are  out 
as  our  allies." 

"Hitting  us,  too,  every  chance  they  git," 
remarked  Crockett.  "  All  except,  it  may  be, 
Castro.  We  can  handle  the  Greasers  our- 
selves." 


34         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Other  remarks  were  made  by  those  around 
him,  expressing  liberal  contempt  for  the  Mexi- 
can general  and  his  army.  They  seemed  to 
have  forgotten  the  old  military  maxim  that 
the  sure  road  to  disaster  is  to  despise  your 
adversary, 

Tetzcatl  had  heard  all,  but  he  had  said  no 
more.  His  singular  face  had  all  the  while 
grown  darker  and  more  tigerish.  The  wild 
beast  idea  was  yet  more  Btrongly  suggested 
when  he  walked  away  with  Great  Bear.  All 
his  movements  were  lithe,  eat-like,  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  dignified  pacing  of  his  com- 
panion and  of  other  Comanche  chiefs  who 
followed  them. 

In  the  outer  edge  of  the  group  of  notables 
there  had  been  one  listener  who  had  hardly 
taken  his  eyes  from  the  faces  of  the  white 
leaders.  He  had  glanced  from  one  to  another 
of  them  with  manifestly  strong  admiration. 
It  was  the  Lipan  boy  who  had  ridden  to  the 
post  with  Tetzcatl. 

At  this  moment,  however,  his  face  had  put 
on  an  expression  of  the  fiercest  hatred.  He 
was  looking  at  a  man  wdio  wore  the  gaudy 
uniform    of    the   Mexican   cavalry.      He   was 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  35 

evidently  an  officer  of  high  rank,  and  he  had 
now  strolled  slowly  away  from  the  completed 
cock-fight,  as  if  to  exchange  ceremonious  greet- 
ings with  Colonel  Travis  and  his  friends.  They 
stepped  forward  to  meet  him  with  every  appear- 
ance of  formal  courtesy,  and  no  introduction 
was  needed. 

"  Si,  senor,"  he  replied,  to  an  inquiry  from 
the  fort  commander.  "  I  have  seen  Senor 
Houston.  I  return  to  Matamoras  to-morrow. 
Our  Mexican  birds  have  won  this  match.  We 
will  bring  more  game-cocks  to  amuse  you  before 
long." 

His  meaning  was  plain  enough,  however 
civilly  it  was  spoken. 

"  You  might  win  another  match,"  responded 
Travis,  "  if  all  the  Mexican  birds  were  as  game 
as  General  Bravo." 

The  Mexican  bowed  low  and  his  face  flushed 
with  pride  at  receiving  such  a  compliment  from 
the  daring  leader  of  the  Texan  rangers. 

"  Thanks,  senor,"  he  said,  as  he  raised  his 
head.  "  I  will  show  you  some  of  them.  I 
shall  hope  to  meet  you  at  the  head  of  my  own 
lancers." 

"  I  know  what   they  are,"  laughed  Travis, 


36         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"and  you  can  handle  them.  But  they  can't 
ride  over  those  walls.  Likely  as  not  Great 
Bear's  Comanches  '11  find  you  work  enough  at 
home.  I'm  afraid  Santa  Anna  will  have  to 
conquer  Texas  without  you." 

General  Bravo  uttered  a  half-angry  exclama- 
tion, but  lie  added, — 

"That's  what  I'm  afraid  of.  They  are  our 
worst  enemy.  There  is  more  danger  in  them 
than  in  the  Lipans.  Among  them  all,  though, 
you  must  look  out  for  your  own  seal]).  You 
might  lose  it." 

Travis  laughed  again  in  his  not  at  all  pleas- 
ant way,  but  he  made  no  direct  reply.  It  was 
said  of  him  that  he  always  went  int<>  a  light 
with  that  peculiar  smile,  and  that  it  boded  no 
good  to  the  opposite  party. 

There  seemed  to  be  old  acquaintance,  if  not 
personal  friendship,  between  him  and  General 
Bravo,  and  neither  of  them  said  anything  that 
was  positively  disagreeable. 

Nevertheless,  they  talked  on  with  a  cool 
reserve  of  manner  that  was  natural  to  men  who 
expected  to  meet  in  combat  shortly.  The  war 
for  the  independence  of  Texas  had  already 
been  marked  by  ruthless  blood-shedding. 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  37 

General  Bravo,  it  appeared,  was  even  now 
on  his  return  from  bearing  important  de- 
spatches, final  demands  from  the  President  of 
Mexico  to  the  as  yet  unacknowledged  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  rebellious  province  of 
Texas.  He  was  therefore  to  be  considered  per- 
sonally safe,  of  course,  until  he  could  recross 
the  border  into  his  own  land. 

For  all  that,  he  might  not  have  been  sure 
of  getting  home  if  some  of  the  men  who  were 
watching  him  could  have  had  their  own  way, 
and  when  he  mounted  his  horse  a  dozen  Texan 
rangers,  sent  along  by  Houston  himself,  rode 
with  him  as  an  escort. 

"  Bravo  may  come  back,"  said  Bowie,  look- 
ing after  him,  "  but  all  the  lancers  in  Mexico 
can  never  take  the  Alamo." 

The  iron-faced,  iron-framed  borderer  turned 
away  to  take  sudden  note  of  a  pair  of  very  keen, 
black  eyes  wmich  were  staring,  not  so  much  at 
him  as  at  something  in  his  belt. 

"You  young  red  wolf!"  he  exclaimed. 
"  What  are  you  looking  at  ?" 

"Ugh!  Heap  boy  Bed  Wolf!  Good!" 
loudly  repeated  the  Lipan  war-chief  Castro, 
standing  a  few  paces  behind  his  son. 


38    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

Ugli !  Ugh  !  Ugh  !  followed  in  quick  suc- 
cession, for  every  Indian  who  heard  knew  that 
the  boy  had  then  and  there  received  from  the 
great  pale-face  warrior  the  name  by  which  he 
was  thenceforth  to  be  known,  according  to 
established  Indian  custom. 

"Bii:  Knife,"  said  the  boy  himself,  still 
staring  at  the  belt,  but  uttering  the  words  by 
winch  the  white  hero  was  designated  by  the 
red  men  of  many  tribes,  north  and  south. 
"Red  Wolf  Look  at  heap  knit*.-." 

"  ( >h,"  said  the  colonel.  "  You  want  to 
see  Howie's  old  toothpick?  Well,  I  guess 
all  sorts  of  red-kins  have  made  me  pull  it 
out." 

"Heap  medicine  knife,"  remarked  Castro. 
44  Kill  a  heap.     Boy  see." 

Bowie's  own  eyes  wore  a  peculiar  expression 
as  he  drew  out  the  long,  glittering  blade  and 
handed  it  to  his  young  admirer. 

It  was  a  terrible  weapon,  even  to  look  at, 
and  more  so  for  its  history.  Originally,  its 
metal  had  been  only  a  large,  broad,  horse- 
shoer's  file,  sharpened  at  the  point  and  on  one 
edge.  After  its  owner  had  won  renown  with 
it,  a  skilful  smith  had  taken  it  and  had   re- 


THE    ALAMO    FORT.  39 

finished  it  with  a  slight  curve,  putting  on,  also, 
a  strong  buek-horn  haft.  It  was  now  a  long, 
keen-edged,  brightly  polished  piece  of  steel- 
work, superior  in  all  respects  to  the  knives 
which  had  heretofore  been  comnion  on  the 
American  frontier. 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Red  AVolf  again,  handling  it 
respectfully.     "  Heap  knife." 

He  passed  it  to  his  father,  and  it  went  from 
hand  to  hand  among  the  warriors,  treated  by 
each  in  turn  as  if  it  were  a  special  privilege  to 
become  acquainted  with  it,  or  as  if  it  were  a 
kind  of  enchanted  weapon,  capable  of  doing 
its  own  killing. 

"  Bowie,  knife !"  said  Castro,  when  he  at 
last  returned  it  to  its  owner,  unintentionally 
using  the  very  term  that  was  thenceforward  to 
be  given  to  all  blades  of  that  pattern. 

"All  right"  said  the  colonel,  but  he  turned 
to  call  out  to  his  two  friends, — 

"  Travis  ?  Crockett  ?  Come  along.  I  want 
a  full  talk  with  Tetzcatl.  There's  more  than 
you  think  in  a  scout  across  the  Rio  Grande. 
Let's  go  on  into  the  fort." 

"  I'm  willing,"  said  Travis ;  and  on  they 
went  toward  the  Alamo  convent,  the  citadel, 


40    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

and  they  were  followed  by  Castro  and  the  white- 
headed  Tlascalan. 

Red  Wolf  was  not  expected  to  join  a  coun- 
cil of  great  chiefs,  but  he  looked  after  them 
earnestly,  saying  to  himself, — 

"  Ugh  !     Heap  war-path  !      Red  Wolf  go  !" 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE   DREAM    OF   THE    NEW    EMPIRE. 

NEITHEE  of  the  two  stories  of  the  solid, 
ancient-looking  convent  was  very  high. 
Both  were  cut  up  into  rooms,  large  below  and 
smaller  above.  The  convent  roof  was  nearly 
flat,  with  a  parapet  of  stone,  and  it  was  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-one  feet  long  by  eighteen  wide. 

In  one  of  the  upper  rooms,  at  the  southerly 
corner  of  the  building,  sat  a  sort  of  frontier  Com- 
mittee of  Ways  and  Means,  having  very  impor- 
tant affairs  of  state  and  war  under  discussion. 

The  session  of  the  committee  began  with  a 
general  statement  by  ex-Congressman  David 
Crockett  of  the  condition  of  things  both  in 
Texas  and  in  Mexico. 

"  You  see  how  it  is,"  he  said,  in  conclusion. 
"The  United  States  can't  let  us  in  without 
openin'  a  wide  gate  for  a  war  with  Mexico. 
Some  o'  the  folks  want  it.  More  of  'em  hold 
back.  The  trouble  with  'em  is  that  sech  a 
scrimmage  would  cost  a  pile  of  money.  I  don't 
reckon  that  most  o'  the  politicians  keer  much 

41 


42    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

for  the  rights  of  it,  nor  for  how  many  fellers 
might  git  knocked  on  the  head." 

That  was  the  longest  speech  yet  made  by 
anybody,  but  the  next  was  short. 

"Ugh!"  said  Great  Bear. 

"Ugh!"  said  (astro,  also;  but  he  added, 
" Heap  far  away.  Nocaremuch.  Stay  home 
Boil  kettle.     No  fight." 

The  next  speaker  was  the  old  Tlascalan.  He 
did  not  try  to  express  any  interest  in  either 
Texas  or  the  United  States,  for  he  was  a  single- 
minded  man.  lit-  declared  plainly  that  he  had 
come  to  stir  up  recruits  for  his  life-long  war  with 
Mexico,  regarded  by  him  only  as  a  continua- 
tion of  Spain,  and  with  Santa  Anna  as  a  succes- 
sor of  Hernando  Cortez.  The  white  rangers 
and  the  red  warriors  were  all  alike  to  him. 
Their  value  consisted  in  their  known  faculty 
for  killing  their  enemies. 

"  It's  all  very  well,"  remarked  Travis,  at  the 
end  of  the  old  man's  talk,  "  but  we've  enough  to 
care  for  at  home.     We  haven't  a  man  to  spare." 

The  Big  Knife  had  been  stretching  his  tre- 
mendously muscular  frame  upon  a  low  couch, 
and  he  now  sat  up  with  a  half-dreamy  look  upon 
his  face. 


THE  DREAM  OF  THE  NEW  EMPIRE.    43 

"  I'm  kind  o'  lo<  .kin'  beyond  this  fight,"  he 
said.  "We  don't  want  any  United  States  fin- 
gera  in  out  affairs.  What  we  want  is  the  old 
idea  of  Aaron  Burr.  He  knew  what  he  was 
about.  He  planned  the  republic  of  the  South- 
west. He  wanted  all  the  land  that  borders  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  We  want  it,  too.  Then  we 
want  to  strike  right  across  the  continent  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  I've  been  to  California  and 
into  the  tipper  Mexican  states  on  that  side. 
We'll  take  'em  all.  That  '11  be  a  country  worth 
while  t<»  fight  for.     Texas  is  only  a  beginning." 

"Just  yon  wait,"  said  Crockett  "It's  no 
nse  to  kill  a  herd  of  barrier  when  you  can't 
tote  the  beef.  You're  in  too  much  of  a  hurry. 
The  time  hasn't  come." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,"  said  Travis,  with 
energy.  "  What  we  want  is  Uncle  Sam  and  a 
hundred  thousand  settlers." 

"No!  no!"  interrupted  Tetzcatl.  "Gold! 
Show  gold.  Talk  gold.  Bring  all  the  men 
from  all  lands  beyond  the  salt  sea." 

"About  that  thar  spelter,"  replied  Crockett, 
"  I'll  hear  ye.  Tell  the  whole  story.  I've  only 
heard  part  of  it.     Biggest  yarn  !     Spin  it !" 

A  great  many  other  people  had  heard  the 


44  THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

old  legend,  or  parts  of  it.  It  was  an  historical 
record  that  Cortez  had  been  accused  before  the 
King  of  Spain  of  having  himself  secreted  part 
of  the  plunder,  won  during  his  campaigns 
against  the  Aztecs  and  other  tribes.  It  had 
brought  him  into  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  but, 
after  all,  the  fact  that  he  had  seemed  to  prove 
his  innocence  did  hut  tend  to  build  up  and 
afterwards  t<»  sustain  quite  another  explanation 
of  the  absence  of  the  reported  gold  ami  silver. 
It  had  never  been  found,  and  therefore  every 
ounce  of  it  was  now  lying  hidden  somewhere, 
only  waiting  the  arrival  of  a  discoverer. 

Tetzcatl  was  not  an  eloquent  man,  and  he 
spoke  English  imperfectly,  but  he  was  never- 
theless a  persuasive  talker.  Somehow  or  other 
a  pebble  as  large  as  a  dollar  had  wandered  into 
that  room,  and  he  put  it  down  upon  the  floor, 
declaring  it  to  be  the  City  of  Mexico.  He 
evidently  expected  them,  after  that,  to  imagine 
about  a  square  yard  around  it  to  be  a  kind  of 
map,  with  the  Rio  Grande  at  its  northern  edge 
and  Texas  beyond.  He  proceeded  then  as  if 
he  had  all  the  mountains  and  passes  marked 
out,  but  he  had  not  gone  far  before  Crockett 
broke  in. 


THE    DREAM    OE    THE    NEW    EMPIRE.  45 

"Hollo,"  he  said.  "I  see.  Cortez  didn't 
find  the  stuff'  in  the  city,  because  it  wasn't 
thar.  It  was  up  nearer  whar  it  was  placered 
out,  hundreds  of  miles  away." 

"  I  never  thought  of  that,"  remarked  Travis. 
"  There's  sense  in  it." 

"  Bully  !"  said  Bowie.  "  And  all  they  had  to 
do  was  to  cart  it  farther." 

"No  carts,"  said  Crockett.  4>  No  mules, 
either.     Not  a  pony  among  them." 

"  That  makes  no  difference,"  replied  Bowie. 
"Those  Indian  carriers  can  tote  the  biggest 
loads  you  ever  saw.  One  of  'em  can  back  a 
man  right  up  a  mountain." 

"That's  it,"  said  Crockett.  "A  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  gold  weighs  three  pounds. 
Sixty  pounds  is  twenty  thousand.  A  hundred 
men  could  tote  two  millions.  That's  what  I 
want." 

"  All  right,"  laughed  Travis,  "  but  only  part 
of  it  was  gold.  Part  of  it  was  silver.  But, 
then,  Guatamoczin  could  send  a  thousand  car- 
riers and  keep  'em  going  till  'twas  all  loaded 
into  his  cave." 

Tetzcatl  understood  them,  and  he  not  only 
nodded  assent,   but   went   on   to   describe   the 


46         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

process  of  transportation  very  much  as  it'  he 
had  been  there.  According  to  him,  moreover, 
the  largest  deposit  was  within  a  few  days'  ride 
of  what  was  now  the  Texan  border.  A  great 
deal  of  it,  he  said,  had  not  come  from  the 
south  at  all,  but  from  the  north,  from  Cali- 
fornia, New  Mexico,  and  Arizona. 

They  could  not  dispute  him,  but  at  that  day 
all  the  world  was  still  in  ignorance  of  the  gold 
placers  of  the  Pacific  coast.  California  was  as 
yet  nothing  more  than  a  fine  country  for  fruit, 
game,  and  cattle-ranches. 

"I've  heard  enough,"  said  Travis,  at  last. 
"  It's  as  good  as  a  novel.     But  I  guess  1  won't 

go-" 

"I  think  I'll  take  a  ride  with  (astro,  any- 
how," replied  Bowie.  "If  it's  only  for  the 
fun  of  it.  Great  Bear  and  his  Comanches  can 
have  a  hunt  after  Bravo's  lancers.  But  it's 
awfully  hot  in  here.  I'm  going  to  have  a 
siesta.'1 

That  meant  a  sleepy  swing  in  a  hammock 
slung  in  one  of  the  lower  rooms,  and  the  other 
white  men  were  willing  to  follow  his  example. 

It  was  pretty  well  understood  that  the  pro- 
posed raid   into  Mexico  was   to  be  joined  by 


THE  DREAM  OF  THE  NEW  EMPIRE.    47 

several  paleface  warriors.  Castro  wore  a  half- 
contented  face,  but  the  great  war-chief  of  the 
Comanche.-  stalked  out  of  the  building  uttering 
words  of  bitter  disappointment  and  anger.  He 
had  hoped  for  hundreds  of  riflemen,  with  whose 
aid  he  could  have  swept  on  across  a  whole  Mex- 
ican state,  plundering,  burning,  scalping. 

The  Lipans  and  Comanches  were  not  at 
peace  with  each  other.  They  never  had  been, 
and  nothing  but  a  prospect  of  fighting  their 
common  enemy,  the  Mexicans,  could  have 
brought  them  together. 

During  all  this  time,  however,  one  Lipan,  and 
a  proud  one,  had  been  very  busy.  Red  AVolf, 
with  a  name  of  his  own  that  any  Indian  boy 
might  envy  him,  did  not  need  a  siesta.  He  had 
a  whole  fort  to  roam  around  in.  and  there  were 
all  sorts  of  new  things  to  arouse  his  curiosity. 

The  walls  themselves,  particularly  those  of 
the  fort  and  the  church,  were  wonders.  So 
were  the  cannon,  and  he  peered  long  and  curi- 
ously into  the  gaping  mouth  of  the  solitary 
eighteen-pounder  that  stood  in  the  middle  of 
the  enclosure,  ready  to  be  whirled  away  to  its 
embrasure.  It  was  a  tremenduus  affair,  and  he 
remarked  "heap  gun"  over  it  again  and  again. 


48    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

He  was  having  a  red-letter  day.  At  last, 
however,  he  was  compelled  to  give  up  sight- 
seeing, and  he  marched  out  through  the  sen- 
tried  gate  with  his  father  toward  the  place 
where  their  ponies  had  been  picketed. 

Great  Bear  and  his  chiefs  also  hit  the  fort, 
hut  they  went  in  an  opposite  direction.  If 
there  had  been  any  thought  of  a  temporary 
alliance  between  them  and  their  <>hl  enemies, 
the  Lipans,  for  Mexican  raiding  purposes,  it 
had  disappeared  in  the  up-stairs  council.  Of 
course  they  panel  peaceably,  for  even  accord- 
ing to  Indian  ideas  the  fori  and  its  neighbor- 
hood was  "treaty  ground,"  on  which  there 
could  be  no  scalp-taking.  Besides  that,  there 
were  the  rangers  ready  to  act  as  police. 

As  for  Tetzcatl,  he  and  his  mule  were  no- 
where to  be  seen. 

Siestas  were  the  order  of  the  day  inside  the 
walls  of  the  Alamo,  but  one  man  was  not  in- 
clined to  sleep. 

Out  by  the  eighteen-pounder  stood  the  tall 
form  of  Colonel  Travis,  and  he  was  glancing 
slowly  around  him  with  a  smile  that  had 
anxiety  in  it. 

Near  a  door  of  one  of  the  lower  rooms  of 


THE  DREAM  OF  THE  NEW  EMPIRE.    49 

the  convent  swung  the  hammock  that  con- 
tained Davy  Crockett.  He  was  lazily  smoking 
a  Mexican  cigarette,  but  he  was  not  asleep. 
He  could  see  a  great  many  things  through  the 
open  door,  and  he  was  a  man  who  did  a  great 
deal  of  thinking. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  Travis  ?"  he  asked. 
"What's  got  him  out  tliar  ?  Reckon  I'll  go 
and  find  out  if  there's  anything  up." 

In  half  a  minute  more  the  two  celebrated 
borderers  were  leaning  against  the  gun,  side 
by  side,  and  there  was  a  strong  contrast  be- 
tween them. 

Travis  was  not  without  a  certain  polish  and 
elegance  of  manner,  for  he  was  a  man  of  edu- 
cation and  had  travelled.  If,  however,  Crockett 
was  said  to  have  killed  more  bears  than  any 
other  man  living,  Travis  was  believed  to  have 
been  in  more  hard  fights  than  any  other,  unless, 
it  might  be,  Bowie.  Utterly  fearless  as  he  was, 
he  nevertheless  commanded  the  Alamo,  and  lie 
could  feel  his  military  burdens. 

"What's  the  matter  with  me?"  he  replied 
to  Crockett's  question.  "Look  at  this  fort. 
If  I  had  five  hundred  men  I  could  hold  it 
against   the  whole    Mexican    army.     That   is, 

4 


50  THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTKZ1M  KB, 

unless  they  had  heavy  guns.  But  I've  less 
than  a  hundred  just  now.  We  couldn't  work 
the  guns  nor  keep  men  at  all  the  loop-holes." 

"That's  so,"  said  Crockett.  "The  Greasers 
could  swarm  over  in  onto  ye.  But  Sam  Hou- 
ston could  throw  in  men  if  Santa  Anna  should 
cross  into  Texas.  I  don't  reckon  he'd  try  to 
haul  heavy  cannon  across  country.  He'd  only 
Leave  'em  in  the  sloughs  it'  he  did." 

"That's  so,"  said  Travis.  "  But  he's  coming 
some  day.  1  want  to  be  here  when  he  comes. 
I  want  you  and  Bowie  and  all  our  old  crowd." 

"1*11  be  fifin' 'round,"  said  Crockett;  "but 
just  now  ['ve  got  to  go  and  blow  my  whistle  in 
Washington.     Durned  long  trip  to  make,  too." 

"Come  hack  as  soon  as  you  can."  replied 
Travis,  with  unusual  earnestness.  "  E've  a  job 
on  hand.  Houston  lias  ordered  me  to  scout 
along  the  Nueces.  I'll  only  take  a  squad,  but 
it  weakens  the  garrison.  Bowie  has  made  up 
his  mind  to  take  a  ride  with  Castro.  Some  of 
the  men  that  are  not  enlisted  yet  will  go  with 
him,  most  likely." 

"  Let  him  go,"  said  Crockett.  "  He'll  learn  a 
heap  of  things.  He  kind  o'  gets  me  as  crazy 
as  he  is  about  our  new  Southwest  enterprise. 


THE  DREAM  OF  THE  NEW  EMPIRE.    51 

Tell  you  what !  Just  a  smell  o'  gold  'd  fetch 
the  immigrants  in  like  blazes.  Prairie  fire's 
nothin'  to  it." 

"  He  won't  smell  any,"  laughed  Travis  ;  but 
they  had  turned  away  from  the  gun,  and  were 
pausing  half-way  between  the  Alamo  and  the 
church.  They  were  glancing  around  them  as 
if  to  take  a  view  of  the  military  situation. 

It  was  quiet  enough  now,  and  there  was  no 
prophet  standing  by  to  tell  them  of  the  future. 
What  their  cool  judgment  now  told  them  sub 
entirely  possible  was  surely  to  come.  From 
beside  that  very  gun  they  were  to  see  the 
"  Greasers,"  as  they  called  the  soldier-  of  Santa 
Anna,  come  swarming  over  the  too  thinly 
guarded  wall.  There,  at  the  left,  by  the  four- 
pounder,  was  Travis  to  fall  across  the  gun,  shot 
through  the  head.  Here,  on  the  spot  where 
he  now  stood,  was  Crockett  to  go  down,  fighting 
to  the  last  and  killing  as  he  fell.  In  the  upper 
corner  room  of  the  Alamo,  where  the  conference 
with  Tetzcatl  and  the  chiefs  had  been  held,  was 
Bowie  himself  to  perish,  like  a  wounded  lion  at 
bay,  the  last  man  in  the  Alamo. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    RACE    FOB    THE    'HAPARRAL. 

TT  was  a  bugle  and  not  a  drum  that  summoned 
-*-     the  garrison   to  answer  at  their  morning 

roll-call. 

" Bowie,"  said  Colonel  Travis,  just  after  In- 
had  dismissed  the  men,  "  I  don't  want  to  ask 
too  much.  You're  not  under  my  orders,  but  I 
wish  you'd  take  a  pretty  strong  patrol  an<l  scout 
off  southerly.  The  Lipans  camped  off  toward 
San  Antonio,  but  I'd  like  to  feel  sure  that 
Great  Bear  kepi  his  promise  and  rode  straight 
away.     He  isn't  heavy  on  promise-keeping." 

"  Not  where  scalps  are  in  it,"  said  Howie. 
"He's  in  bad  humor.     I'll  go." 

"You  bet,"  remarked  Crockett.  "Castro 
hasn't  many  braves  with  him.  He'll  be  bare- 
headed before  night  if  the  Comanches  can  light 
onto  him." 

"All  right,"  said  Bowie:  "but  they  won't 
strike  us  just  now.  I  don't  want  Castro  wiped 
out.      We're  old  friend-." 

"  Mount    your    men    well,"    said    Travis    to 

52 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  53 

Bowie.  "  You  may  have  hard  riding.  Don't 
fight  either  tribe  if  you  can  help  it.  I  must 
be  off  on  Houston's  orders  as  soon  as  I  can  get 
away." 

"I'll  take  a  dozen,"  replied  Bowie.  " The 
fort  '11  be  safe  enough  just  now." 

No  further  orders  were  given,  but  he  picked 
both  his  men  and  his  horses,  and  he  seemed  to 
know  them  all. 

They  were  good  ones,  the  riders  especially. 
They  were  all  veterans,  trained  and  tried  and 
hardened  in  Indian  warfare,  and  ready  for  any- 
thing that  might  turn  up.  They  went  into 
their  saddles  at  the  word  of  command  as  if 
they  were  setting  out  for  a  merry-making,  and 
the  little  column  passed  through  the  gate-way 
two  abreast,  followed  a  minute  later  by  their 
temporary  commander. 

The  Texan  rangers  were  armed  as  well  as 
was  possible  at  that  date.  The  Colt's  revolver 
had  but  just  been  invented,  and  the  first  speci- 
mens of  that  deadly  weapon  found  their  way  to 
Texas  a  few  months  later.  Barely  two  small 
six-shooters  came  in  1836,  but  these  opened 
the  market,  and  there  was  a  full  supply,  large 
pattern,  sent  on  in  1837. 


54         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Just  now,  however,  each  man  had  horse- 
pistols  in  holsters  at  the  saddle.  In  each 
man's  belt  were  smaller  weapons,  of  various 
shapes  and  sizes,  and  not  one  of  them  failed  to 
carry  a  first-rate  rifle.  All  had  Babres  as  well 
as  knives,  but  they  were  not  lancers.  On  the 
contrary,  they  were  inclined  to  despise  the 
favorite  weapon  of  the  plains  red  men  and  of 
the  Mexican  cavalry. 

Bowie  was  now  at  the  front,  and  he  appeared 
to  hav*-  some  reason  of  his  own  for  making  haste. 

No  such  indication  was  given,  however,  by 
an  entirely  different  body  of  horsemen,  five 
time-  as  numerous,  which  was  at  that  hour 
riding  across  the  prairie,  several  miles  to  the 
southeastward.  These,  too,  seemed  to  have  a 
well-understood  errand. 

Their  leader  was  about  two  hundred  yards 
in  advance  of  the  main  body,  and  he  paused 
upon  the  crest  of  every  "  rising  ground"  as  he 
went,  to  take  swift,  searching  glances  in  all 
directions. 

"Great  Bear  is  a  great  chief!"  he  loudly 
declared.  "  He  will  teach  Castro  and  the 
Lipan  dogs  a  lesson.  They  have  set  Travis 
against  the  Comanches.     Castro  shall  not  ride 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  55 

into  Chihuahua.  I  will  hang  his  scalp  to  dry 
in  my  own  lodge.  I  will  strike  the  Mexicans. 
Ugh!" 

He  spoke  in  his  own  tongue,  and  then  he 
seemed  to  be  inclined  to  repeat  himself  in 
Spanish,  for  he  was  an  angry  man  that  day. 
It  was  not  at  all  likely  that  he  would  prove 
over-particular  whether  his  next  victims  were 
red  or  white,  and  he  evidently  did  not  consider 
himself  any  longer  within  neutral  territory. 

Suddenly  the  Comanche  war-chief  straight- 
ened in  his  saddle,  turned  his  head,  and  sent  back 
to  his  warriors  a  prolonged,  ear-piercing  whoop. 

A  chorus  of  fierce  yells  answered  him,  and 
the  slow  movement  of  the  wild-looking  array 
changed  into  a  swift,  pell-mell  gallop. 

It  had  been  a  whoop  of  discovery.  At  no 
great  distance  from  the  knoll  upon  which 
Great  Bear  had  sounded  his  war-cry  a  voice 
as  shrill  and  as  fierce,  although  not  as  power- 
ful, replied  to  him  with  the  battle-yell  of  the 
Lipans.  In  another  instant,  the  wiry  mustang 
which  carried  an  Indian  boy  was  springing 
away  at  his  best  pace  eastward.  Probably  it 
was  well  for  his  rider  that  the  race  before  him 
was  to  be  run  with  a  light  weight. 


56         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZIM  AS. 

Red  Wolf  was  all  alone,  but  if  Great  Bear 
was  hunting  Lipans,  they,  on  their  part,  were 
on  the  lookout  for  Comanches.  Their  cunning 
chief  had  read,  as  clearly  as  had  Travis,  the 
wrathful  face  of  Great  Bear.  lie  had  camped 
for  one  night  in  the  comparatively  secure 
vicinity  of  San  Antonio.  Shortly  after  he 
and  his  braves  began  their  homeward  ride 
that  morning,  he  had  given  to  his  son  and  to 
several  others  orders  which  were  accompanied 
by  swift  gesticulations  that  rendered  many 
words  needless.  What  he  said  to  Red  Wblf 
might  have  been  translated, — 

"We  are  to  strike  the  chaparral  on  a  due 
south  line  from  the  fort.  Ride  a  mile  to  the 
west  of  em-  line  of  march.  Keep  your  eye 
out  for  enemies.  W  yon  see  any,  get  hack  to 
us  full  speed.  Great  Bear  has  sixty  braves. 
Mayhe  more.  We  are  only  twenty,  lie  would 
wipe  us  out." 

Away  went  Red  Wolf.  He  was  only  a 
scout,  but  he  was  a  youngster  doing  warrior 
duty,  and  he  felt  as  if  the  fate  of  the  whole 
band  depended  upon  him.  It  was  another  big 
thing  to  add  to  his  remarkable  experiences  of 
the  day  before, — a  fort,  guns,  a  grand    cock- 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  57 

fight,  and  the  heroes  of  the  border, — white 
chiefs  who  were  famous  among  all  the  tribes. 
More  than  all,  and  he  said  so  as  he  rode  on- 
ward, he  had  been  spoken  to  by  the  Big  Knife 
of  the  palefaces,  and  he  had  not  only  seen  but 
had  handled  the  "  heap  medicine  knife"  itself. 
He  was  now  almost  a  brave,  with  a  name  given 
him  by  the  hero,  his  father's  friend,  and  he 
was  burning  all  over  with  a  fever  to  do  some- 
thing worthy  of  the  change  in  his  circumstances. 

He  was  well  mounted,  for  he  was  the  son  of 
a  chief,  and  there  had  been  a  drove  of  all  sorts 
to  select  from.  The  mustang  under  him  was  a 
bright  sorrel, — a  real  beauty,  full  of  fire,  and 
now  and  then  showing  that  he  possessed  his 
full  share  of  the  high  temper  belonging  to  his 
half- wild  pedigree. 

Mile  after  mile  went  by  at  an  easy  gait, 
and  the  watchful  scout  had  seen  nothing  more 
dangerous  than  a  rabbit  or  a  deer.  He  was 
beginning  to  feel  disappointed,  as  if  his  luck 
were  leaving  him.  It  was  hard  upon  a  fellow 
who  was  so  tremendously  ready  for  an  adven- 
ture if  none  was  to  be  had.  He  even  grew 
less  persistently  busy  with  his  eyes,  and  let  his 
thoughts  sro  back  to  the  fort. 


58         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Heap  big  gun,"  he  was  remarking  to  him- 
self.    "  Kill  a  heap.     Shoot  away  oft'." 

At  that  instant  his  pony  sprang  forward  with 
a  nervous  bound,  for  his  quick  ears  had  caught 
the  first  notes  of  Great  Bear's  thrilling  war- 
whoop.  Red  Wolf  went  with  him  as  if  he 
were  part  of  him,  while  he  drew  the  rein  hard 
and  sent  back  his  shrill  reply. 

"  Great  Bear  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Catch  Red 
Wolf?  Ugh!  No!  Take  heap  Comanche 
hair." 

The  other  warriors  were  not  yet  in  sight, 
but  there  was  a  great  deal  of  "  boy"  in  his 
boastful  threat,  considering  the  known  prowess 
of  their  leader. 

The  sorrel  pony  was  having  his  own  way, 
and  the  horse  carrying  Great  Bear  must  have 
been  not  only  fast  but  strong,  or  he  would  have 
been  left  behind  in  short  order.  It  was  not  so, 
however  ;  and  now,  as  higher  rolls  of  the  prairie 
were  reached  and  climbed,  the  entire  yelling 
band  were  now  and  then  seen  by  the  young 
Lipan. 

"  Poor  pony  I"  he  remarked  of  some  of  them, 
for  their  line  was  drawing  out  longer  as  the 
better  animals  raced  to  the  front  and  the  slower 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  59 

fell  to  the  rear.  All  were  doing  their  best,  and 
some  were  even  catching  up  with  Great  Bear. 
It  would,  therefore,  be  really  of  no  use  for  Red 
Wolf  to  stop  and  kill  him,  unless  he  were 
ready,  also,  to  take  in  hand  and  scalp  a  number 
of  other  warriors, 
i      "  What  Eed  Wolf  do  now  ?     Ugh  !" 

It  was  a  question  which  was  running  through 
his  mind  hot-footed,  and  it  was  not  at  first  easy 
to  shape  a  satisfactory  answer. 

A  white  boy  would  have  been  likely  to  have 
let  it  answer  itself.  He  would  have  ridden  as 
straight  as  he  could  to  rejoin  the  band  of 
Lipans  and  to  tell  his  father  that  the  Comanches 
were  coming.  He  would  have  thought  onlv  of 
getting  them  to  help  him  in  his  proposed  fight 
with  Great  Bear. 

Red  Wolf  was  an  Indian  boy.  All  his  life, 
thus  far,  he  had  been  oettino;  lessons  in  Indian 
war-methods.  He  had  heard  the  talks  and 
tales  of  chiefs  and  noted  braves  in  their  camps 
and  councils.  He  had,  therefore,  been  taught 
in  a  redskin  academy  of  the  best  kind,  and  he 
was  a  credit  to  his  professors. 

"  Ugh  !  No  !"  he  exclaimed,  at  last.  "  Co- 
manche find  chaparral.     Xo  find  Lipan." 


GO         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZtJMAS. 

He  had  no  need  to  urge  his  pony,  but  he 
rode  southward,  not  eastward.  Already,  in 
the  distance,  he  could  see  the  endless,  ragged 
border  of  the  chaparral.  It  began  with  scat- 
tered trees  and  bushes  out  on  the  prairie. 
These  increased  in  number  and  in  closeness  to 
each  other,  until  they  thickened  into  the  dense, 
many-pathed  labyrinth.  The  pursuers  also 
could  see,  and  they  could  understand  thai  if 
the  fugitive  they  were  f  oil  owing  was  leading 
them  toward  Castro's  party,  they  must  close  up 
to  him  now  or  never. 

The  whoops  which  hurst  from  them  as  they 
dashed  along  were  loud,  bul  short,  sharp, 
excited. 

"Whoop  big!"  shouted  Red  Wolf.  "Heap 
yell!     Castro  hear  whoop." 

He  had  noted  that  the  wind  was  blowing  in 
the  right  direction.  It  could  carry  a  sound 
upon  its  wings  far  away  to  the  eastward,  but 
two  very  different  kinds  of  human  ears  received 
and  understood  the  fierce  music  the  chasers 
were  making. 

"  Forward  !  Gallop  !"  rang  from  the  heavily- 
bearded  lips  of  the  commander  of  horsemen 
coming  from  the  northward. 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  61 

"  Comanches  !  Colonel  Bowie  !"  shouted  a 
grizzled  veteran  behind  him.  "That's  Great 
Bear's  band,  you  bet !" 

Another  whoop  swept  by  them  on  the  wind 
as  Bowie  replied  to  him, — 

"  And  they've  struck  the  Lipans,  I'm  afraid. 
We  must  try  and  get  into  it  before  too  much 
mischief's  done.  On,  boys  !  We'll  give  him 
a  lesson." 

Silence  followed,  but  the  men  looked  at  the 
locks  of  their  rifles  and  felt  of  their  belt  pis- 
tols as  they  went  forward.  It  was  no  light 
matter  to  aet  as  police,  or  even  as  peacemakers, 
in  that  part  of  the  world. 

The  other  listeners  were  nearer  and  could 
hear  more  distinctly,  but  no  sound  was  uttered 
by  the  warriors  with  Castro  when  their  chief 
drew  his  rein  and  held  up  a  hand.  Every 
man  of  them  knew,  or  thought  he  knew,  just 
what  it  all  meant,  but  more  news  was  coming. 

One  brave  who  had  been  some  distance  in 
their  rear,  as  a  lookout  in  that  direction,  came 
on  at  full  speed,  followed  by  another  whose 
duties  had  detailed  him  more  to  the  westward. 
Both  brought  the  same  errand,  for  the  first  ex- 
claimed, as  he  came  within  speaking  range, — 


62  THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"Ugh!  Heap  Texan,"  and  the  other,  whose 
eyes  may  have  been  sharper,  added,  "  Big 
Knife  !     Many  rifle  ?" 

"Comanche!  Great  Bear!1'  roared  Castro, 
in  a  deep-toned,  wrathful  voice.  "Red  Wolf 
lose  hair!     Ugh!     Chaparral!" 

He  knew  that  his  sou  must  in  some  way 
have  been  the  immediate  cause  of  that  whoop- 
ing, but  his  first  duty  as  a  leader  was  to  Bave  his 
party,  letting  his  vengeance  wait  for  a  better 
opportunity.  He  led  on,  therefore,  toward  the 
only  possible  refuge,  muttering  as  he  went. 

"Ugh!"  lie  said.  "  Heap  boy.  Run  against 
Comanche!  Young  chief!  Ugh!  Go  to 
bushes.  No  good  wait  for  Big  Knife.  Not 
enough  Texan.     Too  many  Comanche." 

He  might  well  be  anxious  concerning  his 
promising  son,  but  Red  Wolf's  hair  was  yet 
upon  his  head,  for  the  wind  tossed  it  well  as 
his  fleet  mustang  carried  him  past  the  outer- 
most clump  of  mesquit-bushes. 

"Whoop!"  he  yelled.  "Red  Wolf  beat 
Great  Bear !     All    Lipans  get  away.     Ugh  !" 

He  had  not  beaten  his  pursuer  by  more  than 
two  hundred  yards,  however,  and  several  other 
Comanches  were  now  as  near  as  was  their  chief. 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  63 

Could  there  be  such  a  thing  as  an  escape 
from  all  of  them  ?  Would  not  the  entire 
swarm  go  in  after  him  and  surely  find  him,  no 
matter  what  path  he  might  take  ?  The  situa- 
tion looked  awfully  doubtful  in  spite  of  the 
moderate  advantage  which  he  had  thus  far 
maintained. 

Closer  grew  the  trees.  Nearer  to  each  other 
were  the  thick  "tow-heads"  of  bushes.  On 
went  Red  Wolf,  veering  to  the  left  around 
each  successive  cover,  but  seeming  to  push  di- 
rectly into  the  chaparral.  It  was  a  complete 
cover  now,  and  he  was  well  hidden  at  the  next 
sharp,  sudden  turn  that  he  made  to  the  east- 
ward. 

Paths,  paths,  paths,  fan-like,  but  that  none 
of  them  were  straight,  and  fan-like  was  the 
spreading  out  of  the  wily  Comanches.  Or 
perhaps  they  were  more  like  a  lot  of  mounted, 
lance-bearing  spiders,  that  were  going  in  to 
catch  a  young  Lipan  fly  in  that  web. 

As  for  him,  he  had  whooped  his  very  loud- 
est just  before  he  reached  the  chaparral,  and  a 
gust  of  wind  had  helped  him  like  a  brother. 
Again  Castro  had  raised  a  hand,  but  now  he 
shouted  fiercelv, — 

.7   7 


64    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

"Hear  heap  boy!  Red  Wolf!  No  lose 
hair  yet.     Ugh  !     Whoop  !" 

For  all  he  knew,  nevertheless,  he  may  have 
been  listening  to  the  last  battle-cry  of  his 
brave  son.  He  and  his  braves  were  at  that 
moment  riding  in  anion--  the  bushes,  while 
more  than  half  a  mile  away,  upon  the  prairie, 
galloped  Bowie  and  his  riflemen. 

"Reckon  we'll  -it  thar  jest  about  in  time 
to  see  'em  count  the  skelps,"  remarked  one 
ranger. 

"Reckon  not,"  replied  another.  "Those 
Lipans  are  as  sale  as  jack-rabbits  it'  once  tiny 
kin  fetch  the  chaparral." 

Red  Wolf  had  reached  it,  but  he  was  by  no 
means  safe.  Great  Bear  himself  had  dashed 
in  so  recklessly  that  he  and  his  first  handful 
of  fast  racers  were  galloping  upon  the  wrong 
paths.  They  discovered  their  error,  or  thought 
they  did,  in  a  minute  or  so,  but  a  minute  was 
of  importance  just  then.  They  lost  it  before  a 
kind  of  instinct  told  them  to  wheel  eastward 
if  they  expected  to  find  the  Lipans. 

That  had  been  the  direction  taken  by  one 
of  their  best-mounted  comrades  on  entering 
the  chaparral,  and  the  soft  thud  of  his  horse's 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  65 

hoofs  had  now  reached  the  quick  ears  of  Red 
Wolf. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  exclaimed.     "  One  !" 

He  had  pulled  in  his  panting  pony,  and  he 
now  unslung  his  bow  and  put  an  arrow  on  the 
string. 

"  Red  Wolf  young  chief!"  he  said.  "  Wait 
for  Comanche  !     Tell  Big  Knife  !" 

It  was  not  altogether  imprudence  or  bad 
management  to  let  his  hard-pushed  mustang 
breathe  for  a  few  moments.  It  might  be  called 
cunning  to  let  his  enemies  go  by  him  if  they 
would.  But  stronger  than  any  cunning,  or 
than  any  prudence  concerning  his  horse,  was 
his  burning  ambition  to  do  something  that  he 
could  boast  of  afterwards.  What  is  called 
Indian  boasting  is  only  the  white  man's  love 
of  fame  in  another  form.  Each  red  hero  is  his 
own  newsj^aper,  and  has  to  do  his  own  reporting 
of  his  feats  of  arms. 

The  hoof-beats  came  nearer,  swiftly,  upon 
a  path  which  crossed  his  own  at  the  bushes 
behind  which  he  had  halted. 

Twang  went  the  bow,  the  arrow  sped,  and  a 
screeching  death-whoop  followed.  The  Lipan 
boy  did  but  prove  himself  altogether  a  son  of 


66         THE    LOST   GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Castro  when  he  sprang  to  the  ground  and 
secured  his  bloody  war-trophy  at  the  risk  of 
his  life.  The  pony  and  tin-  weapons  of  the 
fallen  brave  were  also  taken.  Then  once  more 
Red  Wolf  was  on  the  sorrel  dashing  onward, 
while  behind  him  rose  the  angry  yells  of  the 
Comanches,  who  had  heard  the  death-cry  and 
knew  thai  one  of  their  number  had  "gone 
under." 

"Ugh!  Heap  boy!  Save  hair!"'  was  the 
hoarse-toned  greeting  given  to  his  son  by 
Castro  three  minutes  later. 

"Comanche!"  said  Red  Wolf,  holding  up 
his  gory  prize.  "Great  Bear  come.  Not 
many  braves  right  away.  Too  many  pretty 
soon.     Heap  run.      Qgh  !" 

Castro  understood  the  situation  well  enough 
without  much  explanation,  and  his  prospects 
did  not  seem  to  be  very  good.  He  and  his 
braves  were  too  few  to  win  a  pitched  battle  and 
too  many  for  concealment. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  replied  to  Red  Wolf.  "  Great 
chief  no  run.     Die  hard.     Heap  fight." 

The  one  thins:  in  his  favor  was  the  first 
mistake  made  by  Great  Bear.  It  had  kejDt  him 
from   being  in  person  among  the  next  half- 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  67 

dozen  of  the  braves  who  had  gone  to  the  left, 
so  very  close  upon  the  heels  of  Red  Wolf. 
Even  their  wrath  for  the  fate  of  their  foremost 
man  did  but  send  them  on  the  more  recklessly 
to  avenge  him.  They  whooped  savagely  as  they 
galloped  past  his  body  at  the  crossing  of  the 
paths.  They  still  believed  they  had  only  one 
Lipan  to  deal  with,  but  they  were  terribly 
undeceived,  for  their  blind  rush  into  the 
presence  of  Castro  and  his  warriors  was  as  if 
they  had  fallen  into  a  skilfully  set  ambuscade. 
They  were  taken  by  surprise,  outnumbered, 
almost  helpless,  and  down  they  went,  not  one 
of  them  escaping. 

Away  behind  them,  the  fast-arriving  main 
body  of  the  Comanches  listened  to  the  death- 
shouts  and  to  the  Lipan  whoops  of  triumph, 
and  they  obeyed  the  astonished  yell  with  which 
their  leader  summoned  them  to  gather  to  him 
at  the  spot  where  he  had  halted. 

"  Too  many  Lipan,"  he  said,  to  a  brave  who 
rode  in  with  a  kind  of  report.  "  Castro  great 
chief.  Heap  snake.  No  let  him  catch  Great 
Bear  in  chaparral  trap.  Wait.  Comanche 
fool.  Lose  hair  for  nothing.  Red  Wolf  heap 
young  brave.     Kill  him  dead." 


68         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

That  was  indeed  fame  for  the  young  Lipan 
warrior.  Not  only  had  he  been  recognized  by 
his  pursuer,  but  the  great  war-chief  of  the  Co- 
manches  believed  that  the  son  of  his  old  enemy 
was  proving  himself  another  Castro,  as  cour- 
ageous and  as  cunning  as  his  father.  A  mere 
boy,  not  yet  sixteen,  had  become  of  such  im- 
portance that  he  must  be  killed  off,  if  possible, 
to  prevent  the  future  harm  that  he  would  be 
likely  to  do. 

Red  Wolf's  ambuscade  had  not  been  of  his 
own  planning,  but  he  had  performed  his  acci- 
dental part  of  it  remarkably  well. 

"  Red  Wolf,  young  chief!  Son  of  Castro  !" 
said  his  father,  proudly.  "  Big  Knife  good 
medicine.  Saw  boy.  Old  friend  tell  name. 
Ugh  !     Good !" 

To  his  mind,  therefore,  Colonel  Bowie  had 
been  a  kind  of  war-prophet,  declaring  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  boy  he  had  named,  giving  him 
"  good  medicine,"  or  tremendous  good  luck,  and 
now  his  correctness  as  a  prophet  had  been  un- 
expectedly established.  So  said  more  than  one 
of  the  Lipans  who  had  been  at  the  fort  and  had 
witnessed  the  performance  with  the  wonderful 
medicine  knife. 


THE    RACE    FOR    THE    CHAPARRAL.  69 

Now,  during  a  number  of  minutes,  all  the 
chaparral  was  still,  for  even  the  wild  creatures 
were  hiding  and  the  human  beings  talked  by 
motions  and  not  by  spoken  words.  Not  one 
of  the  latter,  on  either  side,  could  as  yet  shape 
for  himself  a  trustworthy  idea  concerning  the 
numbers  or  the  precise  locality  of  his  enemies. 
All  had  dismounted,  however,  and  the  hard- 
ridden  horses  had  a  chance  to  recover  their 
wind.  No  less  than  seven  of  them,  that  had 
been  very  good  Comanche  ponies  that  morning, 
had  now  changed  their  tribe  and  had  become 
Lipans,  whether  they  would  or  not. 


CHAPTER    V. 

AMONG    THE    BUSHES. 

rTIHE  Texan  rangers  had  arrived  just  in  time 
-*-  to  see  the  finish  of  a  very  fine  race.  They 
had  not  actually  seen  Red  Wolf  win  it,  but  they 
were  in  no  doubt  as  to  why  his  pursuers  made 
such  a  frantic  dash  into  the  chaparral. 

"Not  after  the  ( tomanches  !"  shouted  Bowie. 
" Into  the  cover  and  find  the  Lipans  !    <  lharge  !" 

They  went  in  at  a  point  thai  was  nearer 
than  were  Great  Bear  and  bis  brave-,  to  the 
spot  where  the  Lipans  worked  their  uninten- 
tional ambush.  They  heard  all  that  whooping, 
and  the  stillness  which  followed  it  did  not 
puzzle  old  Indian  fighters. 

"There's  been  a  sharp  brush." 

"Those  were  scalp-whoops." 

"  We're  in  for  it,  boys.  Shoot  quick  if 
you've  got  to,  but  hold  your  fire  to  the  last 
minute.     There  are  none  too  many  of  us." 

Those  were  their  orders,  but  there  was  no 
shooting  to  be  done  right  away. 

Hardly  had  Bowie  pulled  in,  calling  a  halt, 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  71 

in  some  doubt  as  to  which  path,  if  any,  it  was 
best  for  him  to  follow,  before  a  sorrel  mustang 
came  out  in  an  opening  before  him,  somewhat 
as  if  he  had  been  dropped  like  an  acorn  from 
one  of  the  scrub  oaks. 

"Red  Wolf!"  exclaimed  Bowie.  "Where 
is  Castro?" 

"  Big  Knife,  come !"  replied  Bed  Wolf, 
pointing  rapidly.  "  Castro  there.  Great  Bear 
there.  Heap  Comanches.  Young  chief  take 
hair !     Ugh !" 

He  was  holding  up,  with  intense  pride,  his 
proof  that  he  had  been  a  victor  in  a  single- 
handed  fight.  To  the  mind  of  any  man  of 
Bowie's  experience  it  was  entirely  correct,  and 
he  said  so. 

"  All  right,"  he  told  his  young  friend.  "  Go 
ahead.  Be  a  chief  some  day.  Now  I  must 
see  your  father  short  order.     Go  ahead." 

It  was  but  a  few  minutes  after  that  that  the 
Lipan  chief  and  Big  Knife  were  shaking  hands, 
but  their  questions  and  answers  were  few. 

"  Glad  I  got  here  before  things  were  any 
worse,"  said  Bowie.  "  I  can  make  Great  Bear 
pretend  to  give  it  up  as  soon  as  he  knows  I'm 
here." 


72    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MOXTEZUMAS. 

"Ugh !" replied  Castro.  "  Great  Bear  heap  lie. 
Say  go  home.     Then  kill  horse  to  catch  Lipan." 

"  Just  so,"  .said  Bowie.  "  Of  course  he  will. 
Chief,  hear  old  friend.     Do  as  I  say." 

"  Ugh !"  came  back  assentingly.  "  Big 
Knife  talk.     Chief  hear." 

"  I'll  keep  him  back  while  you  get  a  good 
start,"  said  Bowie.  "But  do  you  and  your 
braves  ride  for  the  Bio  Grande.  Ride  fast 
Get  back  to  your  lodges  by  that  way.  I'll 
follow  to-morrow  with  a  squad." 

"Ugh!"  said  (astro,  doubtfully.  "  No  go 
to  lodge  now.  Rio  long  water.  Where  wait 
for  Big  Knife?     Bravo  there,  along  river." 

"  I  don't  exactly  know  just  where  to  say," 
began  Bowie. 

"  Hacienda  Dolores  !"  sounded  gruffly  out  of 
one  of  the  bushes  near  them.  "  Across  the 
river.     Tetzcatl." 

Castro  almost  set  free  a  whoop  in  his  sur- 
prise, but  he  checked  it  in  time,  and  only  ex- 
claimed,— 

"  Black  Panther  hide  deep.  Good.  No  let 
Comanche  see  him.  Row  Big  Knife  find 
hacienda  ?" 

"All  right,"   said   Bowie.     "I  know.     It's 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  73 

the  abandoned  ranch  on  the  other  side.  Pretty 
good  buildings,  too.  Just  as  good  a  place 
as  any,  if  I  can  get  there  with  a  whole  skin. 
Reckon  I  can." 

"  Red  Wolf  lead  horse  to  hacienda  for  Big 
Knife,"  said  his  father ;  but  the  voice  from  the 
bushes  added,  "  Tetzcatl." 

"That's  it,"  said  Bowie.  "I'll  get  there. 
You  and  the  youngster  meet  me  and  my  men 
at  about  this  place  to-morrow  any  time  I  can 
get  here.  Say  it  '11  probably  be  toward  noon. 
Now  I  must  have  a  talk  with  Great  Bear." 

A  chorus  of  friendly  grunts  responded  to 
him  from  the  Lipans  who  had  gathered  around, 
and  they  seemed  to  follow  his  instructions  at 
once.  Even  Red  Wolf  and  his  puny  had 
already  disappeared. 

There  was  a  bugle  among  the  varied  outfit 
of  the  rangers,  and  now  it  was  unslung  by  its 
bearer.  He  really  knew  what  to  do  with  it.  As 
the  band  of  white  men  rode  cautiously  forward 
in  the  direction  given  them,  the  martial  music 
sounded  again  and  again  at  short  intervals.  It 
was  an  announcement  to  the  Comanches  that 
they  had  more  than  Lipans  to  deal  with,  and  it 
was  also  a  plain  invitation  to  a  parley. 


74         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Just  how  many  red  foemen  he  might  have 
in  front  of  him  Great  Bear  did  not  know. 
Neither  had  he  any  count  of  the  white  riflemen, 
but  their  presence  settled  his  mind. 

"Great  Bear  no  fight  Texan  now!"  was  his 
immediate  declaration  to  his  warriors.  "Heap 
fool  Big  Knife  Tut  him  in  Alamo.  No  see 
through  wall.  Then  find  Castro  in  bushes. 
No  let  Lipan  gel  away." 

His  next  business,  therefore,  was  to  ride  for- 
ward, with  a  cunning  Bemblance  of  friendly 
frankness,  to  talk  with  Bowie  ami  -mid  him 
back  to  the  fort,  leaving  the  hushes  elear  of  rifles. 
Not  even  then  did  the  rangers  expose  themselves 
unduly,  and  Great  Bear  knew  that  he  was  cov- 
ered by  more  than  one  unerring  marksman 
while  he  was  shaking  hands  so  heartily. 

"  Heap  friend;'  he  said.  "  Great  Bear  glad 
Texan  come.  Glad  to  see  Big  Knife.  Lipan 
kill  Comanche.     Gone  now." 

"  Great  Bear  lie  a  heap,"  returned  Bowie, 
coldly.  "  Said  he  would  go  home  to  his  lodge. 
Break  word.     Stay  and  fight  Lipan." 

"Ugh!"  returned  Great  Bear,  insolently. 
"  Great  Bear  chief!  What  for  Big  Knife  ride 
in  bushes?     Hunt  Lipan  dog?     Take  Castro 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  75 

hair?     Shut   mouth.     No   talk   hard.     Go  to 
fort.     Go  sleep !" 

"  Heap  bad  talk,"  said  Bowie,  with  steady 
firmness.  "Great  Bear  is  in  a  trap.  Better 
get  out.  Lose  all  his  braves.  This  isn't  your 
land.     Go  to  lodge." 

The  chief  again  spoke  boastfully,  and  Bowie 
became  argumentative.  One  of  his  present 
objects  was  to  use  up  time  in  talk,  and  he  was 
quite  willing  to  stir  Great  Bear's  vanity  to  all 
sorts  of  assertions  of  the  right  and  power  of 
himself  and  his  tribe  to  fight  their  enemies 
wherever  they  could  be  found. 

He  was  succeeding  very  well,  and  every 
minute  was  of  importance  to  the  Lipans,  who 
were  now  threading  their  southward  way 
through  the  chaparral  with  all  the  speed  they 
could  reasonably  make.  With  the  sun  over- 
head to  guide  by,  they  could  dispense  with  a 
compass.  Here  and  there,  moreover,  some  of 
them,  who  seemed  to  have  been  there  before, 
found  marks  upon  tree-trunks  and  branches 
which  may  have  meant  more  to  their  eyes  than 
to  those  of  other  people. 

"  Great  Bear  is  a  great  chief,"  said  Bowie,  at 
last,  looking  at  the  subtle  Comanche  steadily. 


76         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  He  has  talked  enough.  What  does  he  say  ? 
Will  he  fight  now,  or  will  he  go  to  his  lodge  ? 
—Bugle,  ready !" 

The  bugler  raised  to  his  lips  his  hollow 
twist  of  brass,  but  a  storm  of  "  Ughs"  broke 
out  among  the  Comanche  warriors. 

Most  of  them  had  been  near  enough  to  hear 
the  conversation.  They  were  on  dangerous 
ground  and  were  becoming  altogether  willing 
to  get  out  of  it.  At  this  moment  they  >a\v 
rifles  eocked  and  half  lifted.  They  knew  that 
every  white  man  before  them  was  a  dead  shot, 
and  none  of  them  felt  any  desire  to  hear  a 
bugle  blow  or  a  rifle  crack. 

The  chief  himself  considered  that  he  had 
talked  long  enough,  and  that  he  had  been  suf- 
ficiently insolent  to  preserve  his  dignity.  He 
could  therefore  pretend  to  yield  the  required 
point. 

"  Good  !"  he  replied.  "  Great  chief  go.  Big 
Knife  ride  to  fort.  Lipan  dogs  run  away.  Save 
hair.  Comanches  take  all  some  day.  Not  now. 
Texan  heap  friend.     Shut  mouth.     Ugh  !" 

He  offered  his  hand,  and  BowTie  took  it,  but 
after  that  he  and  his  rangers  sat  upon  their 
horses    in    grim,  menacing   silence,  while   the 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  77 

Comanche  warriors  rode  out  of  the  chaparral. 
They  did  so  glumly  enough,  for  they  had  been 
outwitted  and  they  had  lost  some  of  their  best 
braves. 

"  Now,  men,"  said  Bowie,  "  it  was  touch  and 
go.  They  were  too  many  for  us  if  it  was  a 
fight.  We're  out  of  it  this  time,  but  they 
won't  forget  or  forgive  it." 

"  You  bet  they  won't,"  replied  a  ranger ; 
"  but  I  had  a  sure  bead  on  Great  Bear's  throat 
medal,  and  he  knew  it.  He'd  ha'  jumped  jest 
once." 

"Back  to  the  Alamo,"  said  Bowie.  "We 
must  make  good  time." 

Away  they  went,  and  in  an  instant  the  ap- 
pearance of  military  discipline  had  vanished. 
The  leader  and  his  hard-fighting  comrades 
were  once  more  fellow-frontiersmen  rather  than 
"soldiers."  Differences  of  rank,  indeed,  were 
but  faintly  marked  upon  the  dress  or  trappings 
of  any  of  them. 

There  were  no  epaulets  or  sashes,  but  at  no 
moment  of  time  could  an  observer  have  been 
in  doubt  as  to  who  was  in  command.  The 
roughest  and  freest  spoken  of  them  all  showed 
marked  deference  whenever    he    addressed   or 


78    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

even  came  near  to  the  man  whom  Great  Bear 
himself,  with  all  his  pride,  had  acknowledged 
to  be  his  superior. 

"  Jim,"  said  Bowie  to  a  tall  horseman  who 
was  at  his  side  when  they  came  out  into  the 
open  ])rairie,  "have  you  made  up  your  mind 
to  go  with  me  into  Chihuahua  '!" 

"Go!"  exclaimed  dim.  "Why,  colonel, 
I  ain't  enlisted.  Travis  can't  stop  me.  Of 
course  I'll  go.  Wouldn't  miss  it  for  a  pile. 
It  '11  be  as  g<><  ,il  as  a  spree." 

So  said  moiv  than  one  of  the  other  rangers 
when  opportunity  came  to  ask  them  the  same 
question.  To  cadi  tin-  romantic  legend  of  the 
hidden  treasures  of  the  Aztec  kings  had  been 
mentioned  confidentially.  No  doubt  it  acted 
as  a  bait,  but  every  way  as  attractive,  appar- 
ently, was  the  prospect  of  a  raid  into  Mexico,  a 
prolonged  hunting  and  scouting  expedition,  and 
a  fair  chance  for  brushes  with  Bravo's  lancers. 

"  A  Comanche  or  Lipan  is  worth  two  of  'em," 
they  said,  "  and  one  American's  worth  four. 
We  shall  outnumber  any  lot  of  Greasers  we're 
at  all  likely  to  run  against." 

There  was  a  great  deal  too  much  of  arrogance 
and    overbearing    self-confidence    among    the 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  79 

men  of  the  Texas  border,  and  at  no  distant 
day  they  were  to  pay  for  it  bitterly. 

They  had  gone  and  the  chaparral  seemed  to 
be  deserted,  but  it  was  not  entirely  without 
inhabitants. 

"  Tetzcatl !" 

"Ugh!     Red  Wolf!" 

There  they  sat,  once  more  confronting  each 
other,  the  young  Lipan  on  his  pony  and  the 
old  tiger  on  his  mule. 

"  Boy  heap  fool,"  said  Tetzcatl.  "  Coman- 
ches  in  chaparral.     Castro  gone." 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Red  Wolf.  "  See  one  Coman- 
che ride  away.     Keep  arrow." 

Tetzcatl's  eyes  were  angry.  Part  of  his  dis- 
appointment had  been  the  reneAval  of  the  feud 
between  the  tribes.  He  had  hoped  for  their 
joint  help  in  working  out  his  own  revenges. 
Nevertheless  he  now  listened  to  a  further 
explanation,  and  learned  that  a  noted  Coman- 
che warrior  had  no  use  for  bow  or  lance  just 
then,  because  of  an  arrow  that  was  yet  sticking 
through  his  right  arm  above  the  elbow.  Red 
Wolf  could  not  follow  him,  but  he  had  cap- 
tured a  dropped  lance,  which  he  was  now  some- 
what boastfully  exhibiting. 


80         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Boy  go  now,"  said  Tetzcatl.  "  Tell  Castro, 
Texans  gone  to  the  fort." 

"  No  !  no  !"  replied  Red  Wolf.  "  Big  Knife 
say  wait.     Tetzcatl  wait.     Hide  in  bushes." 

No  further  persuasion  was  attempted  by  the 
old  Tlascalan,  although  he  did  not  conceal  his 
preference  for  being  without  young  company. 

"  Come,"  said  Red  Wolf.  "  No  stay.  Heap 
eat.     Where  water  ?" 

That  seemed  a  useless  question  to  be  asked 
in  such  a  place,  but  there  were  secrets  of  the 
chaparral  which  were  unknown  to  the  red  men 
of  the  plains.  This  was  not  their  hunting- 
ground  and  never  had  been  so.  Moreover, 
there  had  been  local  changes  and  wide  bush- 
growths  during  the  years  which  had  elapsed 
since  the  tribes  of  the  Guadalupe  and  Nueces 
River  country  had  been  exterminated. 

Less  than  half  an  hour  of  brisk  riding 
brought  Tetzcatl  and  his  companion  to  the 
hiding-place  of  one  of  those  secrets  of  the 
chaparral. 

"Whoop!"  burst  from  Red  Wolf.  "Old 
lodge.  Heap  water.  Great  medicine.  Tetz- 
catl white  head.     Know  heap  !" 

Except    for   its    being   there,    unknown   to 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  81 

almost  everybody,  there  was  nothing  to  be 
seen  that  could  be  called  remarkable.  There 
were  some  tumbling  walls  of  adobe,  or  sun- 
burned brick,  of  no  great  extent  or  number, 
near  the  margin  of  a  bright-looking  pond. 
There  might  be  two  acres  of  water,  but  no  rill 
could  be  seen  running  into  it.  One  that  ran 
out,  feebly,  on  the  farther  side,  shortly  disap- 
peared in  the  sandy  soil.  Red  Wolf  knew,  for 
he  at  once  rode  to  investigate. 

,k  Ugh!"  he  exclaimed,  when  he  reached  the 

bit    of  marsh  where    the    tiny  rivulet    ended. 

"  Dead  water." 

A  deer  sprang  out  of  a  covert  at  the  border 

of  the  marsh,  but  Red  Wolf's  bow  had  been 

all  the  while  in  his  hand,  ready  for  instant  use. 

The  bowstring   twanged,  the  arrow  sped,  and 

in  a  moment  more  a  thrust  of  a  lance  followed. 
"  Heap  meat,"  said  the  young  hunter,  as  he 

sprang  to  the  ground  and  tethered  his  mustang. 
He  did  not  have  to  cut  up  his  game  unaided. 

Tetzcatl    came    to   join    him    with    his    heavy 

machete  already  out,  and  he  proved  himself  an 

expert  butcher. 

"  Good  !"  said  Red  Wolf.     "  Where  go  now  ? 

Heap  fire  tell  Comanche." 


82    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

"Come,"  said  Tetzcatl,  slinging  the  venison 
across  his  mule,  but  he  said  no  more  about 
what  he  intended  doing. 

They  rode  back  to  the  pond  and  around  it 
to  the  southerly  side.  Here,  scattered  over 
several  acres  of  open,  grassy  ground,  were  the 
ruins,  none  of  them  more  than  one-story  build- 
ings. At  one  place,  near  the  middle  of  them, 
there  remained  almost  a  complete  house,  roofed 
over.  Into  this,  leaving  his  mule  at  the  door, 
Tetzeatl  led  the  way.  On  the  floor  in  a  corner 
smouldered  the  embers  of  a  Ore,  suggesting  thai 
he  had  been  there  before,  <<n  that  ray  day. 
Fragments  of  dry  wood  lay  near,  and  were  at 
once  thrown  on  to  make  a  blaze,  in  spite  of  the 
remonstrance-  of  Red  Wolf. 

"  Smoke  tell  Comanche,"  he  said,  as  the  blue 
vapor  began  to  curl  out  at  an  opening  in  the 
shattered  roof. 

"No!"  replied  Tetzcatl.  "Small  smoke. 
Much  wind.     Comanches  are  a  great  way  off." 

Red  Wolf  had  to  give  it  up,  and  he  was  very 
ready  to  enjoy  broiled  venison. 

The  best  part  of  his  unexpected  good  luck, 
however,  was  the  water.  The  deer  had  been  a 
sudden  arrival  truly,  but   deer  were  plentiful 


AMONG    THE    BUSHES.  83 

in  Texas  in  those  days.  They  were  to  be  met 
with  at  any  time,  but  a  pond  in  a  desert  was 
quite  another  affair. 

The  riding  and  the  fighting  and  the  after- 
lurking  among  the  bushes  had  consumed  the 
day.  The  sun  was  going  down  when  the  two 
cooks  in  the  adobe  turned  away  from  their  din- 
ner and  carefully  covered  their  fire-embers. 
The  mule  and  the  mustang  had  also  been  doing 
very  well  upon  the  grass  of  the  clearing. 
Everything  was  peaceful,  even  comfortable, 
therefore,  when  Ked  Wolf  remarked  to  Tetz- 
catl,  "  Dark  come.     Heap  sleep.     Ugh  !" 

"Buemo!"  he  replied.  "  Boy  sleep.  Old 
man  too  old." 

With  thorough-going  Indian  caution,  how- 
ever, the  son  of  Castro  did  not  think  of  sleeping 
in  any  house,  to  be  found  there,  perhaps,  by  his 
enemies.  He  took  his  pony  with  him  and  went 
in  among  the  bushes.  Then  he  tied  the  sorrel 
securely,  but  left  him  to  whatever  might  be 
coming.  As  for  himself,  no  other  young  wolf 
hunted  for  a  more  perfect  cover  before  con- 
senting to  shut  his  eyes.  Then,  indeed,  it  was 
quickly  proved  that  the  toughest  kind  of  red 
Indian  boy  could  be  completely  tired  out. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE    OLD    CASH-BOX. 

THE  morning  sun  of  the  next  day  was  well 
up  in  the  sky  before  it  could  manage 
to  look  in  over  the  bushes  and  find  out  what 
was  going  on  around  the  pond  and  the  ruins. 
Long  before  that,  however,  a  bright  young 
face  of  a  dusky-red  tint  came  to  the  side  of  a 
sumach-bush  and  peered  out  a  little  anxiously. 
Nothing  living  was  to  be  seen  excepting  a  mule 
at  the  end  of  a  lariat  and  pin.  As  if  satisfied 
by  what  he  saw,  the  young  redskin  disap- 
peared, but  he  shortly  came  out  again,  leading 
a  pony.  Another  pin  was  driven  to  hold  the 
pony's  lariat,  but  the  two  animals  were  not 
picketed  near  each  other.  They  belonged  to 
different  tribes  and  they  might  be  at  war. 

Then  once  more  Red  Wolf  glanced  swiftly 
in  all  directions.  He  saw  a  large  rabbit  sitting 
still  and  looking  at  the  mule,  but  he  did  not 
see  any  Tetzcatl. 

"  Heap  water,"  he  remarked,  and  he  at  once 
went  to  the  margin  of  the  pond.     He  took  a 

84 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  85 

long  draught.  It  was  pure,  but  he  could  not 
say  that  it  was  very  cold.  "  Ugh  I"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  threw  aside  his  weapons  and 
took  off  his  buckskins. 

In  he  waded,  but  the  pond  grew  deeper  a 
few  yards  out,  and  he  dashed  ahead  in  a 
manner  that  proved  him  a  tip-top  swimmer. 
Such  a  morning  bath  was  a  rare  luxury,  but, 
as  soon  as  he  had  paddled  around  long  enough, 
he  swam  ashore  and  sat  down  to  dry.  Perhaps 
it  was  also  for  a  thinking  spell,  and  he  had 
quite  a  number  of  things  to  think  of.  One 
among  them  came  to  the  front  pretty  soon,  and 
he  put  on  his  small  allowance  of  clothing. 
Then  he  picked  up  his  lance,  his  bow,  and  his 
arrows  and  walked  toward  the  adobe.  He 
found  it  as  empty  as  he  expected,  and  he  at 
once  stirred  up  the  fire.  There  was  plenty  of 
venison,  and  he  knew  nothing  at  all  about 
bread,  coffee,  and  the  other  superfluous  accom- 
paniments of  a  white  man's  breakfast. 

What,  indeed,  could  be  better  for  an  already 
celebrated  Lipan  warrior,  intending  to  be  a 
chief  some  day,  than  a  whole  pond  of  water, 
very  nearly  a  whole  deer,  and  a  good  fire  to 
cook  by  ? 


86    THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

He  was  satisfied  thus  far,  but  there  was  one 
trait  of  his  character  which  had  been  showing 
itself  ceaselessly.  Red  Wolf  was  a  bora  in- 
vestigator. It  was  something  more  than  mere 
curiosity.  It  worked  well,  too,  witli  all  his 
training  as  a  hunter  and  as  a  warrior,  for  it 
led  him  to  try  and  find  out  tin*  meaning,  if  it 
had  any,  of  every  thing  and  circumstance  he 
might  happen  to  meet.  His  eyes  were  hardly 
ever  quiet,  and  they  were  a  very  keen,  pene- 
trating pair  of  eyes. 

He  broiled  and  ate  his  last  cutlet,  went  to 
the  pond  for  a  draught,  and  then  he  set  him- 
self to  a  close  study  of  the  ruins,  lie  went 
from  one  to  another  of  them  rapidly  at  first, 
until  he  was  aide  to  say  of  them,  counting  upon 
his  fingers, — 

"Heap  old  fort.  Many  lodges.  No  big 
gun.     Heap  fight  one  day." 

What  he  meant  by  that  was  that  in  several 
places  he  had  discovered  skulls  and  bones, 
which  told  of  men  who  had  fallen  there  with 
none  to  care  for  their  burial.  Some  of  these 
were  inside  of  the  walls  of  the  houses.  Others 
were  scattered  in  the  open.  All  were  dry, 
white,  decayed,  ready  to  crumble  entirely. 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  87 

The  first  inspection  had  been  of  a  hasty 
kind,  as  if  for  fear  of  interruption.  "When  it 
was  over,  Red  Wolf  stood  still  for  a  moment, 
and  stared  at  the  openings  in  the  chaparral. 
Somebody,  an  old  man  with  white  hair,  for 
instance,  ought  to  be  coming  out  at  one  of  them 
at  about  this  time.     Why  did  he  not  come? 

"  Great  Bear  in  bushes,"  he  remarked. 
"  Heap  Comanche.  Big  Knife  come.  Texan. 
Red  Wolf  want  Tetzcatl." 

He  could  not  have  him  right  away,  that  was 
plain,  however  much  he  might  want  him.  So  he 
turned  to  the  ruins  for  another  search,  and  this 
time  he  went  more  slowly,  and  scrutinized  with 
greater  care  every  square  foot  of  each  in  turn. 

Nothing  could  have  been  left  in  any  of  them, 
of  course,  but  he  was  on  the  lookout  for  "  sign." 
There  seemed  to  be  none  for  him  to  read,  until 
at  last,  in  one  of  the  most  completely  broken 
quadrangles  of  old  walls,  he  stood  still  and 
uttered  a  loud  "  Ugh  !"  of  astonishment. 

"  Hole  in  wall,"  he  said.     "  Heap  dollar." 

A  considerable  mass  of  adobe  had  been 
shattered  in  falling.  Just  under  its  former 
base  there  had  been  a  kind  of  brickwork  box. 
It  had  been  built  over  so  as  to  conceal  it  com- 


88  THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

pletely,  but  it  had  never  been  provided  with 

either  door  or  lid.  In  it  had  been  placed  a 
number  of  deerskin  bags.  One  of  these  had 
split  in  falling,  and  there  on  the  ground  lay  a 
number  of  silver  coins.  They  were  Spanish- 
Mexican  dollars,  halves,  quarters,  all  more  or 
less  blackened  by  corrosion,  exposed  as  they 
were  to  rain  and  sun,  but  all  as  good  as  ever. 

Red  Wolf  had  seen  silver  money,  and  any 
coin  was  to  him  a  "dollar,"  but  it  was  a  matter 
concerning  which  he  knew  very  little.  It  was 
altogether  "white  man's  medicine,"  and  of  a 
very  powerful  kind.  He  knew  that,  at  least, 
and  his  next  thought  was  uttered  aloud. 

"Tetzcatl  not  see  dollars.  No  find.  Red 
Wolf  talk  to  Big  Knife.  Great  chief  know. 
Heap  take." 

Verv  strong  was  his  convictions  that  if  Tetz- 
catl had  at  any  time  discovered  that  stuff,  he 
would  have  hidden  it  again  or  carried  it  away. 
He  did  not  regard  the  Tlascalan  as  his  friend 
by  any  means,  nor  did  he  consider  him  as  any 
kind  of  white  man.  Colonel  Bowie  was  his 
chief  just  at  this  time,  and  he  would  know 
what  to  do  with  dollars.  Therefore  there 
could  be  no  hesitation  as  to  the  right  course  to 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  89 

be  pursued.  Somehow  or  other  this  affair  was 
to  be  reported  to  the  Texan  hero  and  to  him 
only. 

All  that  Red  Wolf  said  or  did,  nevertheless, 
brought  clearly  out  a  well-known  trait  of  savage 
character.  That  is,  he  had  no  clear  idea  of 
"  value,"  and  so  he  was  not  ready  for  "  money." 
All  of  his  thorough  education  as  a  brave  of  the 
Lipans  had  not  taught  him  to  count.  He 
would  have  been  as  poor  a  hand  at  a  bargain 
as  if  he  had  been  a  whole  council  of  great 
chiefs  selling  half  a  new  State  to  the  agents  of 
the  United  States. 

His  most  exciting  idea  concerning  his  dis- 
covery was  that  he  had  found  something  which 
he  believed  would  be  of  especial  interest  to 
Big  Knife. 

He  gathered  the  scattered  coins  and  put 
them  into  the  hole.  He  lifted  the  uppermost 
bags  to  find  out  how  heavy  they  were,  but  he 
did  not  open  any  of  them.  He  put  down  the 
last  bag  that  he  lifted  with  a  low-toned  excla- 
mation  of  "  heap  medicine,"  as  if  it  awed  him. 

Only  a  few  minutes  of  work  were  then  re- 
quired to  cover  the  opening  with  fragments  of 
adobe.     After  that  the  young  treasure-finder, 


90  THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

who  did  not  know  what  he  had  found,  turned 
and  walked  away  toward  the  pond. 

He  must  have  been  thinking  of  other  matters 
while  he  walked,  for  lie  turned  quickly  and 
went  to  his  mustang.  Up  came  the  lariat-pin, 
and  once  more  the  sorrel,  after  being  watered 
was  led  into  the  greater  security  of  the  chapar- 
ral. 

"  No  Tetzcatl  come,"  he  remarked,  as  he 
went.     "  Too  many  ( Jomanche." 

He  had  been  a  reckless,  foolhardy  young 
fellow,  and  he  said  so,  in  remaining  so  long  out 
of  cover,  when  he  knew  what  enemies  were 
hunting  for  him.  He  tethered  the  pony  and 
found  for  himself  a  thicket  from  which  he  had 
a  good  view  of  the  pond  and  its  surroundings. 
No  smoke  was  now  arising  from  the  adobe. 

Patiently,  silently,  he  lay  and  waited  and 
an  hour  passed  slowly  by.  Then  he  suddenly 
crouched  lower  and  fitted  an  arrow  to  his  bow- 
string. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  said.     "  Horse  foot  come  !" 

More  than  one  set  of  hoofs  was  falling  upon 
the  soft  sand  of  a  pathway  near  him,  but  only 
a  faint  sound  was  made  after  their  gait  changed 
from  a  "  lope"  or  canter  to  a  slow  walk.     At 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  91 

the  moment  when  this  was  done  four  pairs  of 
eyes  were  swiftly  scanning  the  open.  Low- 
voiced  exclamations  indicated  that  they  had 
discovered  something  altogether  new  to  them, 
and  then  they  rode  out  from  the  chaparral  to 
examine  it  more  thoroughly. 

"No    Lipan,"    he   heard   them   say.      "  Xo 
pony.     Castro  gone." 

They  had  been  led  there  by  the  trail  of  Red 
Wolf's  mustang  and  the  mule.  They  now  pro- 
ceeded to  search  for  any  other  tell-tale  foot- 
prints, and  Red  Wolf  followed  them  with  his 
eyes.  They  were  not  likely  to  discover  even 
the  fireplace,  unless  they  should  dismount. 
He  thought  of  the  dollars,  but  he  believed  them 
to  be  altogether  safe.  His  most  troublesome 
thought  was  his  pony,  for  if  that  unwise  ani- 
mal should  see  fit  to  send  out  a  neigh  of  in- 
quiry to  either  of  the  Comanche  ponies  conceal- 
ment would  be  no  longer  possible. 

"Red  Wolf  lose  hair,"  he  said.  "Strike 
Comanche  brave  !  Kill  a  heap  !  Too  many." 
He  was  determined  to  die  fighting,  but  his 
enemies  were  now  riding  out  beyond  the  ruins, 
not  in  his  direction.  He  was  only  too  sure 
that  they  would  come  back  again.     It  was    a 


92         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

question  of  life  or  death  that  would  be  settled 
speedily,  one  way  or  the  other. 

Crack !  It  was  the  loud  report  of  a  rifle 
ringing  out  of  the  southerly  border  of  the 
chaparral,  and  the  taller  of  the  four  Comanches 
pitched  heavily  to  the  ground. 

Loud  yells  of  rage  and  astonishment  were 
uttered  by  the  three  remaining  braves,  but  they 
did  not  wait  for  a  second  shot.  They  wheeled 
their  mustangs  and  galloped  wildly  away 
through  the  nearest  opening  in  the  shrubbery. 

"Heap  dead,"  said  Red  Wolf.  "Ugh! 
Texan  !" 

He  lay  as  still  as  before,  however,  during  sev- 
eral minutes,  and  no  white  rifleman  made  his 
appearance.  The  slain  Comanche  lay  on  the 
grass  where  he  had  fallen,  and  his  riderless 
pony  fed  quietly  near  him.  It  was  only  one, 
after  all,  of  the  numberless,  unexplained  trag- 
edies of  the  border,  and  Red  Wolf  was  too 
wise  a  vouns;  Indian  to  so  out  and  hunt  around 
for  its  meaning.  He  untethered  his  pony,  how- 
ever, and  made  ready  for  a  run,  if  that  should 
prove  to  be  the  next  demand  made  upon  him. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  suddenly  exclaimed.  "  Tetzcatl. 
No  Comanche." 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  93 

Out  from  the  chaparral  beyond  the  pond 
walked  the  somewhat  mysterious  Tlascalan,  but 
Red  Wolf  sent  toward  him  a  kind  of  warning 
cry,  as  like  the  croak  of  a  crow  as  if  a  very 
skilful  crow  had  made  it. 

Tetzcatl  himself  might  be  such  another  crow 
from  the  response  that  came  back.  In  a  few 
minutes  more  he  and  Red  Wolf  were  behind 
the  same  thicket,  exchanging  reports  of  their 
situation. 

The  old  man  seemed  to  care  very  little  about 
the  hidden  rifleman  or  the  dead  warrior.  Red 
Wolf  told  all  other  things,  but  he  did  not 
mention  the  dollars.  He  did,  however,  take 
note  of  every  square  inch  of  the  white-haired 
tiger  he  was  talking  to,  and  he  came  very  near 
uttering  an  exclamation  when  his  keen  eyes 
detected  a  stain  of  powder  in  the  middle  of 
Tetzcatl's  left  hand.  The  thought  which  at 
once  arose  in  his  mind  was,  "  Load  rifle. 
Powder  stick  on  hand.  Hide  in  the  bushes. 
Shoot  Comanche.  Leave  gun  there.  Ride 
around  pond.  Heap  fool,  Red  Wolf.  Boy ! 
Ugh !" 

It  was  what  lawyers  call  circumstantial  evi- 
dence, but  there  was  no  direct  proof  that  the 


94         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

Comanche  had    not    fallen    by  the  hand  of  a 
Texan  ranger. 

"  Follow  Tetzcatl,"  said  the  old  man.  "  See 
Big  Knife." 

Not  another  word  did  he  utter,  but  he  and 
Ked  Wolf  rode  on  together  during  about 
twenty  minutes  side  by  side. 

If  the  young  Lipan  expected  to  meet  any 
of  the  rangers  or  their  leader  at  the  place 
named  the  previous  day,  he  was  mistaken. 
Bowie  had  indeed  kept  hie  appointment,  much 
earlier  than  he  had  suggested,  and  there  had 
been  important  consequences. 

Part  of  what  had  happened  began  to  be 
understood  by  Ked  Wolf  when  he  and  lVtz- 
catl  came  to  so  sharp  a  halt  as  they  did. 

Only  a  few  yards  ahead  of  them  six  rifle- 
men sat  motionlessly  in  their  saddles  with  their 
rifles  raised  as  if  about  to  tire.  The  foremost 
of  them  was  apparently  taking  aim. 

The  fire  flashed  from  pan  and  muzzle,  and 
the  report  was  followed  by  a  shrill  screech  from 
behind  some  bushes  not  sixty  yards  away.  A 
horse  dashed  out  and  off,  followed  by  another, 
whose  rider  also  fell  to  the  ground  as  a  second 
and  third  rifle  cracked  together. 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  95 

"  Load,  boys !  Quick  !"  shouted  Bowie. 
"  They  haven't  surrounded  us,  but  that's  what 
they're  up  to.     There's  another  !" 

The  third  Comanche  was  galloping  too  fast 
to  be  made  a  good  mark  of,  but  three  bullets 
followed  him  and  his  pony  dropped.  Then 
it  was  not  one  of  the  Texans  but  Tetzcatl 
on  his  mule  who  now  spurred  forward.  He 
had  not  gone  to  help  anybody,  for  his  machete 
was  in  his  hand. 

"Red  Wolf,  halt!"  commanded  Bowie. 
"  Tell !     Talk  fast !" 

It  was  not  easy  to  obey  an  order  that  kept 
him  from  striking  an  enemy,  but  Bowie  was 
his  chief  just  then,  and  the  story  of  the  pond, 
the  adobe,  the  four  Comanches,  and  all  other 
points  worth  telling,  were  rapidly  told. 

"  Good  !"  said  Bowie.  "  Tetzcatl's  coming. 
That  fellow  can't  give  Great  Bear  any  informa- 
tion. Now  for  the  pond.  What  we  want 
next  is  water." 

The  entire  party  wheeled  away  behind  Tetz- 
catl as  guide,  and  Red  Wolf  fell  back  among 
the  men.  He  did  not  yet  feel  free  to  question 
so  great  a  man  as  Big  Knife,  but  he  learned 
from  the  rangers  as   they  rode  on  that    their 


96         THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

whole  party  had  narrowly  escaped  a  collision 
with  "too  many  ( lomanches"  at  the  spot  where 
they  had  met  the  Tlascalan.  "We'd  ha'  been 
wiped  out  sure,"  they  said. 

After  that  they  had  dodged  and  lurked  in 
the  chaparral,  while  he  went  for  a  scouting 
trip  to  the  pond.  It  now  seemed  fairly  safe 
to  go  there,  l>nt  there  was  no  certainty  as 
to  what  had  become  of  the  main  body  of  the 
Comanches.  Of  course,  after  bavin-  broken 
his  agreement  t<>  go  Inane,  Greal  Bear  felt 
it  to  be  his  military  duty  to  destroy  a  squad 
of  Texans  who  might  otherwise  report  him 
and  bring  a  stronger  force  to  punish  bis  mis- 
doings. 

If  the  pond  had  hitherto  been  one  of  the 
secrets  of  the  chaparral,  it  was  one  no  longer 
now.  Loud,  however,  were  the  exelamations 
of  surprise  uttered  by  the  Texans  when  they 
rode  out  into  the  open. 

"  There's  no  telling  what  '11  be  found  if  ever 
the  chaparral  is  cleared,"  said  Bowie.  "  We 
don't  know  much  anyhow.  Texas  must  be 
free  first,  and  settlers  must  come  in." 

"Colonel,"  said  a  ranger,  "jest  so;  but  no 
settler's  goin'  to  clar  chaparral  as  long  as  thar's 


THE    OLD    CASH-BOX.  97 

loads  o'  clean  prairie  to  feed  stock  on.     This 
'ere  brush  '11  stay  whar  it  is." 

"  Never  mind  now,"  replied  Bowie.  "  "Water 
the  critters  and  picket  them  where  they  can 
bite  grass,  beyond  the  walls,  or  as  near  as  you 
can.  We  could  hold  that  middle  adobe  for  a 
while,  but  we're  in  a  pretty  tight  kind  of 
box." 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    BANGERS. 

"HPT   won't    do  for   us   to   hang  around  this 

-*-     place,"  was   the  substance  of  a  number 

of  remarks  that  were  made  by  the  riflemen  as 

they  cared  for  their  horses  and  then  followed 
their  leader  into  the  centra]  building. 

"  Now,  men,"  said  Bowie,  as  they  gathered 
around  him,  "  the  critters  must  have  a  good 
rest  and  a  feed.  We've  run  them  hard.  We'll 
get  our  rations  right  off." 

All  that  was  left  of  the  deer  began  to  go  out 
of  sight  rapidly.  Hunters  like  these  were  not 
apt  to  carry  any  considerable  amount  of  pro- 
visions with  them.  It  was  not  necessary  in  a 
region  abounding  with  game.  They  were  as 
independent  as  so  many  Indians,  and  every 
day's  ride  was  expected  to  provide  for  its  own 
evening  camp-fire,  with  variations. 

The  fire  blazed  up ;  Tetzcatl  and  one  of  the 
men  volunteered  as  cooks ;  the  others  were 
stationed  here  and  there  as  outlooks,  with  a 
tendency  to  keep  well  under  cover  of  the  old 

98 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    RANGERS.  99 

walls.  It  may  have  been  a  willingness  to  be 
out  of  sight  from  the  bushes  that  led  the  old 
Tlascalan  to  his  duties  at  the  fireside. 

Red  Wolf  had  all  the  while  kept  in  the 
background,  so  to  speak,  but  now,  at  last,  he 
found  an  opportunity  he  had  been  waiting  for. 

"Big  Knife  great  chief,"  he  said  to  the 
colonel.     "  Red  Wolf  heap  boy.     Want  talk." 

"  Come  right  along,"  replied  Bowie,  leading 
him  a  little  aside.  "  Speak  out.  What  is  it? 
Have  you  found  sign?" 

"  Heap  sign,"  said  Red  Wolf.  "  Heap  good 
medicine.     Big  Knife  come,  see." 

"I'll  do  that!"  exclaimed  Bowie,  with  a 
sudden  increase  of  interest.  "  No  Indian  boy 
was  ever  waked  up  like  that  without  a  reason 
for  it." 

Red  Wolf's  face  was  indeed  "  waked  up," 
but  it  contained  also  an  easily  read  warning 
when  he  added, — 

"  Tetzcatl.     No  good.     No  want  him." 

"I  don't  want  him,"  said  Bowie.  "Walk 
slow  now.     Go  right  along." 

It  looked  as  if  they  were  only  strolling  from 
one  heap  of  rubbish  to  another.  Red  Wolf's 
leading  was  very  direct  nevertheless,  and  they 


100   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

were  entirely  hidden  from  observation  when 
they  stood  in  front  of  the  covered  crypt  in  the 
broken  wall. 

Even  then  not  a  word  was  uttered  by  either 
of  them  while  the  Indian  boy  removed  some 
of  his  fragments  of  adobe,  When,  however, 
he  put  in  his  hand  and  drew  it  out  t'nll  of  sil- 
ver coins,  the  sombre  face  of  the  Texan  blazed 
fiery  red. 

"Heap  dollar,"  remarked  Red  Wolf.  "Big 
Knife  find  dollar.     No  Tetzcatl." 

"All  right,  my  boy,"  -aid  Bowie,  hut  he 
vigorously  aided  in  the  further  work  of  uncov- 
ering the  bags. 

"Ugh  !"  -aid  Red  Wolf.     "  Heap  lift." 

So  it  was,  f<»r  some  of  the  bags  were  quite 
heavy  All  were  taken  out,  and  one  after  an- 
other they  were  opened  and  their  contents 
were  inspected. 

"  Twenty  of  them  are  gold  doubloons,"  ex- 
claimed Bowie.  "  The  rest  are  silver.  Now 
Houston  can  buy  his  rifles!  There  may  be 
enough  for  cannon.  What  he  needs  is  the  hard 
cash.  Why,  there  isn't  powder  enough  in  all 
Texas  for  one  sharp  campaign.  But  there  will 
be.     This  is  glorious  !" 


Heap  dollar,'-'  remarked  Eed  Wolf. 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    KAXOERS.  101 

He  was  not  thinking  of  "himself,  therefore, 
but  of  the  young  republic  which  he  and  his 
brave  comrades  had  created  and  were  defending. 
This  money,  lying  here,  so  strangely  found,  so 
entirely  at  his  disposal,  was  not  to  be  regarded 
as  his  own.  Its  only  value  to  him  was  the 
service  it  could  render  in  gaining  the  indepen- 
dence of  Texas. 

Hough,  indeed,  were  the  border  men,  but 
there  are  no  better  examples  of  unselfish  de- 
votion to  a  common  cause  than  they  were  at 
that  hour  giving.  Shoulder  to  shoulder  they 
stood,  the  most  unflinching  band  of  self-enlisted 
volunteers  that  is  recorded. 

"There  must  be  a  good  deal  more  than  a 
hundred  thousand  dollars,"  said  Bowie,  be- 
ginning to  put  back  the  bags  into  the  hole. 
"  There  may  be  twice  as  much,  but  if  there  is, 
it  won't  go  far  enough.  My  mind's  made  up. 
I'll  go  with  Tetzcatl.  If  there's  anything  in 
that  story  of  his,  we  may  find  the  cash  to  fit 
out  batteries  of  artillery  and  buy  five  thousand 
rifles." 

"Ugh!"  said  Bed  Wolf.  "Heap  dollars 
buy  heap  guns." 

"My    boy,"    said  Bowie,   "you  come  along 


102       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

wich  me.  I'll  take  care  of  you.  You  shall 
have  a  rifle,  pistols,  knives,  blankets,  horses, 
anything  you  want.  Now,  Red  Wolf,  look  !" 
He  pointed  at  the  covering  they  were  putting 
on.  "Heap  hide!  No  tell !  Dollars  lie  still !" 
"Red  Wolf  shut  mouth/'  was  all  the  spoken 
reply,  but  his  eyes  blazed  with  the  pride  he  felt 
over  the  reception  of  his  "  find"  by  the  white 
hero.  It  was  almost  like  being  already  a  chief 
to  be  on  intimate,  confidential  terms  with  so 
celebrated  a  warrior,  with  a  leader  whose  or- 
dinary manner  was  a-  haughty  almost  as  that 
of  Castro. 

A  few  handfuls  of  dust,  a  careful  wiping  out 
of  foot- and  hand-marks,  and  then  the  secret  of 
the  wall  was  as  sate  as  it  had  ever  been. 

Bowie,  however,  lingered  for  a  moment,  look- 
ins  at  the  shattered  adobe. 

"One  thing  more  is  true,"  he  muttered. 
"  All  that  stuff  was  found  and  coined  in  this 
country.  There  is  more  where  it  came  from, 
wherever  the  mines  and  placers  may  be.  It 
stands  to  reason  that  the  old  Mexicans  didn't  get 
it  all  out.  That  makes  me  believe  Tetzcatl ! 
Cortez  didn't,  couldn't,  have  gotten  hold  of  all 
the  gold  the  Aztecs  had  above-ground  when  he 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    RANGERS. 


103 


came  here.     The    Spaniards    knew    there  was 
more.     I'll  go  after  it." 

Back  went  the  two  discoverers  to  the  cook- 
room  and  to  their  rations,  and  none  who  saw 
them  come  could  have  found  upon  their  faces 
a  trace  of  the  excitement  they  had  shown  over 
their  bags  of  doubloons  and  dollars. 

Two  hours  later  all  the  animals  belonging  to 
the  party  were  feeding  peacefully  in  the  grassy 
open,  and  behind  a  knoll,  not  far  from  some 
of  them,  lay  Colonel  Bowie.  His  long,  heavy 
"  Mississippi  rifle"  was  thrown  forward  across 
the  knoll.  Just  behind  him,  among  some 
withered  weeds,  lay  the  Lipan  boy,  as  if  he  did 
not  now  feel  willing  to  be  far  away  from  his 
white  chief.  He  was  watching  him  closely, 
and  the  thought  in  his  mind  almost  escaped  at 
his  lips,  so  clear  was  the  meaning  that  he  read 
in  the  motions  of  the  marksman. 

"  Bio-  Knife  sight  deer,"  he  thought,  "  Long 
shoot.     Whoop !     Comanche !" 

His  whoop  was  uttered  aloud  as  the  fire 
flashed  from  the  rifle-muzzle,  and  the  report 
was  answered  by  a  chorus  of  yells  from  among 
the  dense  masses  of  the  chaparral. 

"  Tally    one,"    said    Bowie,    coolly.      "  This 


104      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

business  is  going  to  cost  Great  Bear  some- 
thing. I'll  get  a  bead  on  him  next.  Six 
yesterday  and  five  to-day.  I'll  lie  still  and 
load  up,  though.     It's  close  quarters." 

Not  one  of  the  other  Texans  had  uttered  a 
word,  but  each  was  already  near  enough  to  good 
cover  to  drop  behind  it,  ready  for  long-range 
rifle  practice. 

One  feature  of  the  situation  was  only  too 
evident,  nevertheless,  and  there  was  immediate 
peril  of  a  crushing  disaster. 

The  hot  blood  ran  like  fire  through  the  veins 
of  Red  Wolf.  Here  was  a  grand  chance  to 
earn  distinction.  It  would  be  worthy  of  the 
oldest  brave  in  his  tribe.  The  horses!  The 
only  hope  for  escape ! 

So  like  a  deer  he  bounded  from  his  cover 
and  went  forward.  He  did  not  go  to  the 
nearest  horses,  but  beyond  them,  to  those  which 
were  apparently  in  the  greatest  danger  of 
speedy  capture  by  the  Comanches. 

One  of  these  had  belonged  to  the  brave  who 
was  killed  in  the  open  that  morning,  and 
another  had  been  won  in  the  chaparral  from 
his  companions.  They  were  especially  valued 
as  prizes  of  war.     Up  came  the  two  lariat-pins. 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    RANGERS.  105 

Sharp  jerks  of  the  lariats  called  the  ponies 
from  their  feeding  and  they  followed  the  pull- 
ins:.  Louder  every  moment  sounded  the 
whoops  from  among  the  bushes,  and  arrow 
after  arrow  whizzed  through  the  air. 

"  Whoop !"  veiled  the  young  adventurer. 
"  Bed  Wolf  heap  boy  !  Comanches  little  dogs  ! 
Rabbits  !     Coyotes  !     Crows  !" 

It  was  genuine  Indian  glory  to  be  able  to 
send  back  such  screeches  of  insult  and  derision 
in  reply  to  all  those  arrows.  Some  of  them 
narrowly  missed  him,  although  he  managed  to 
make  a  good  shield  out  of  the  two  ponies. 
That  was  the  way  he  lost  one  of  them,  for  the 
poor  animal  was  shortly  plunging  hither  and 
thither  with  an  arrow  through  his  neck. 

Down  he  went,  but  Eed  "Wolf  immediately 
pulled  up  another  peg,  saving  the  noble  racer 
of  Colonel  Bowie,  and  he  therefore  got  in  with 
a  pair.  He  was  met  by  Tetzcatl,  the  only  man 
upon  his  feet,  but  he  took  the  lariats  into  his 
own  hands,  remarking  in  a  very  business-like 
way, — 

"  Bueno  !     Go  !     Bring  all !     Quick  !" 

The  remaining  animals  were  hardly  near 
enough  to  the  bushes  for  arrows  to  reach  them, 


106   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

and  the  red  men  under  cover  seemed  to  hesitate 
about  exposing  themselves. 

"  Humph  !"  growled  Bowie.  "  They're  only 
waiting  for  something  or  they'd  dash  out  at  him. 
But  isn't  he  a  buster!  He'll  equal  his  father 
some  day.  This  is  too  bad,  anyhow.  All  those 
dollars  must  stay  where  they  are  for  a  while." 

Every  horse  was  brought  in  without  any 
further  incident,  but,  for  all  that,  the  situation 
of  the  mere  handful  of  Texans  was  becoming 
extremely  unpleasant.  It  would,  however, 
have  been  a  great  deal  more  so  if  they  had 
been  compelled  to  rely  upon  their  own  scanty 
knowledge  of  the  neighborhood  they  were  in. 
It  was  too  new  a  country. 

Colonel  Bowie  had  not  moved  until  the  ani- 
mals were  safe,  but  he  now  put  his  fingers  to 
his  lips  and  blew  a  long,  vibrating  whistle. 
Instantly  his  men  arose  behind  their  covers  of 
adobe  or  of  rough  ground  and  began  to  make 
their  way  to  the  central  ruin.  It  was  rapidly 
done,  and  Red  Wolf  was  the  last  to  come  in, 
leading  his  own  sorrel. 

"  We're  corralled  !"  said  one  of  the  men. 
"  Not  quite  so  bad  as  that,"  replied  another  ; 
"and  it'll  be  bad  for  them  if  they  rush  in." 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    RANGERS.  107 

"  I  reckon  they're  waiting  for  more  to  come," 
said  the  colonel,  coolly.  "  It  takes  a  good  many 
to  work  a  surround." 

"  Bueno  /"  said  Tetzcatl  just  then.  "  Time 
to  go.     Beat  the  redskins  now." 

"  Go  ahead,"  responded  Bowie ;  "  we're 
ready." 

The  men  mounted  at  the  word.  They  had 
been  hurriedly  putting  on  saddles,  and  bridles, 
and  now  they  sat  like  statues  on  horseback 
while  he  exchanged  a  few  swift  sentences  with 
their  white-headed  guide. 

"  Forward  !  Take  it  easy  !"  was  the  next 
command. 

Then  it  looked  at  first  as  if  he  were  about 
to  lead  a  charge  directly  into  the  bushes  from 
which  had  come  the  arrows  and  the  whooping. 
So  complete  was  the  appearance  that  several 
Comanches  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  pond 
came  out  into  the  open.  They  would  have 
been  in  just  the  right  position  to  attack  the 
Texans  in  the  rear,  after  riding  around  the 
pond.  Moreover,  it  seemed  plain  that  the 
"  surround"  had  been  very  nearly  accomplished. 

" That's  it,"  said  Bowie.  "We've  drawn 
'em    out.     We  know  where   they  are.     Now ! 


108   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

Gallop!  Boys,  it's  a  run,  but  I  reckon  we've 
euchered  'em." 

He  and  Tetzeatl  had  suddenly  wheeled 
toward  the  left,  and  not  a  Comanche  made  his 
appearance  on  the  easterly  Bide  <>f  the  open  as 
he  and  his  men  dashed  into  one  of  the  widest 
avenues. 

Fierce  were  the  whoops  and  yells  of  the 
outgeneralled  red  men  ;is,  with  one  accord,  they 
came  out  of  their  several  covers  to  follow. 
Over  a  score  were  already  in  sight,  and  the 
yelling  indicated  that  twice  as  many  more 
were  near  at  hand.  The  Texan-  were  to  run 
a  race  for  their  lives,  hut  every  animal  that 
was  entered  for  the  race  was  in  good  condition, 
and  not  one  of  them  was  a  second-rate  runner. 

"  Pull  in  !"  shouted  Bowie,  at  the  end  of  a 
quarter  of  an  hour.  "  Tetzeatl  says  we're  about 
safe." 

"  We've  rid  through  tangles  enough,"  replied 
a  ranger.  "  How  fur  are  we  now  from  the 
south  side  of  the  chaparral  ?" 

"  Not  so  far  as  we  were,"  replied  his  com- 
mander, "  but  we  don't  get  out  into  j^rairie 
right  away.  You'll  see  what  it  is  when  you 
get  there." 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    RANGERS.  109 

"  I  want  to  git  thar,  then,  awful,''  came  from 
another  of  the  men.  "  We  haven't  had  a 
scratch  vet,  but  it's  been  right  smart  of  a  close 
shave."' 

So  it  had,  and  the  Comanches  were  following 
upon  the  plain  trail  that  was  made  by  so  many 
horses.  Their  real  difficulty  as  pursuers  was 
not  the  trail  itself,  by  any  means.  Great  Bear 
was  with  them  now,  and  he  had  a  high  respect 
for  the  men  he  was  dealing  with.  A  number 
of  minutes  had  been  lost  to  him  at  the  outset 
by  the  make-believe  charge.  After  that,  as  his 
gathering  band  rode  on,  the  prudent  chief  com- 
pelled his  eager  braves  to  draw  rein  several 
times  at  places  where  the  thick  "  tangles"  sug- 
gested the  possibility  of  an  ambush  and  a 
deadly  volley  of  rifle-bullets.  It  was  really  a 
pokerish  business  to  follow  dead  shots,  men 
of  desperate  courage,  too,  among  those  dense 
coverts.  He  was  a  wise  chief,  no  doubt,  but 
every  time  his  foremost  warriors  paused  to 
reconnoitre  the  white  men  gained  additional 
time. 

Red  Wolf  all  the  while  kept  somewhat  dif- 
fidently in  the  rear.  He  was,  after  all,  only  a 
boy  among  great  warriors.     Before  long,  how- 

ml  CD        CD  CJ' 


110   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

ever,  he  found  himself  riding  at  an  easy  gait 
side  by  side  with  Colonel  Bowie,  and  the  Big 
Knife  was  holding  out  something. 

"Young  brave!"  said  he.  "Want  good 
knife?     Present." 

It  was  one  which  had  been  found  in  the  belt 
of  the  first  Comanche  warrior  killed  in  the 
open,  and  there  had  been  no  claimant  for  it. 
It  wa>  a  very  good  knife,  longer  than  most 
others,  although  not  shaped  altogether  like  a 
bowie.  Its  sheath  was  Bilver-mounted  and 
its  edge  was  keen.  It  was  worth  a  dozen  of 
common  butcher-knives  such  as  the  one  Red 
Wolf  now  carried,  and  his  eyes  glistened  with 
pleasure.  It  would  be  a  war-trophy  to  show 
to  his  lather,  and  all  his  tribe  would  envy  him 
so  fine  a  weapon.  Its  greatest  value,  however, 
even  to  them,  would  be  the  fact  that  it  was  a 
battle-token  given  by  the  great  single-hand 
knife-fighter  of  the  white  men. 

"Ugh!"  exclaimed  Red  Wolf.  "Heap 
knife.     Great  chief  give  !     Whoop  !" 

He  secured  it  in  his  belt,  and  then  his  old 
butcher-knife  was  contemptuously  transferred 
to  a  place  among  the  fringes  of  his  leggings. 

The  Texans  were  not  using  up  their  horses, 


THE    ESCAPE    OF    THE    RANGERS.  Ill 

but  no  halt  was  made.  They  went  steadily 
forward  for  several  miles  of  winding  way,  and 
then  the  chaparral  began  to  change  its  char- 
acter. Instead  of  mere  bushes  there  was  heavy 
timber  with  much  undergrowth,  and  the  land 
grew  rugged  and  rocky  instead  of  sandy. 

Tetzcatl  was  continually  several  yards  in 
the  advance.  He  now  turned  and  beckoned, 
spurred  his  mule,  and  seemed  almost  to  vanish. 

"  Forward,  men  !"  shouted  Bowie.  "  I  know 
what  he  means!  I've  been  bothered  by  that 
very  ravine  more  than  once.  It  runs  almost 
to  the  Nueces  River.  Hurrah !  Great  Bear 
won't  run  his  braves  into  such  a  death-trap  as 
that  is.     Come  on  !" 

A  number  of  fine  old  oak-trees  stood  like 
sentries  grouped  around  the  mouth  of  a  kind 
of  chasm,  with  rocks  on  either  side.  There 
was  a  descent  at  once,  and  the  ravine  grew 
deeper  as  the  rangers  rode  farther  into  it. 
Tetzcatl  was  ahead  of  them,  but  the  mule 
plodded  on  without  waiting  for  anybody,  while 
his  rider  turned  and  put  a  finger  on  his  lips. 

Not  a  shout  was  uttered,  therefore,  to  tell 
howr  glad  they  all  were  to  get  into  that  ravine, 
and    Bowie   almost   instantly   exclaimed,   in   a 


112       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

low  voice,  to  the  long-legged  Texan  who  was 
riding  near  him, — 

"Jim  Cheyne!  Look!  That's  what  he 
means.  That  head,  up  there  at  the  cliff-edge, 
among  the  rosin  weeds.  Can  yon  fetch  him? 
Long  range,  but  I'll  try.     One  of  us  may  hit." 

"Ready!  Together!"  answered  Jim,  and 
in  a  few  seconds  more  the  two  rifles  cracked 
almost  like  one. 

Tetzcatl  had  watched  the  marksmen,  and 
now  he  nodded  approvingly  and  rode  on,  but 
no  one  climbed  to  the  upper  level  to  inquire 
whether  one  bullet  or  two  had  cut  short  the 
scouting  of  the  imprudent  brave,  whose  eagle 
feather  had  betrayed  his  weedy  lurking-place. 

It  was,  neverthclc»,  another  proof  that  Great 
Bear  was  a  great  chief  and  that  he  knew  that 
country,  for  he  had  sent  his  scouts  in  the  right 
direction  before  trying  to  close  in  upon  the 
Texans  at  the  pond.  He  had  even  guessed 
correctly  at  one  of  their  possible  lines  of  escape. 
He  could  not  have  calculated  beforehand  that 
a  feather  and  a  head  with  a  bullet  in  it  should 
give  so  complete  a  confirmation. 

"He  won't  go  back  to  tell,"  said  Bowie, 
"  but  we  shall  be  followed  all  the  way." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    CAMP   AT    THE    SPRING. 

CROCKETT,  there  isn't  any  use  talking. 
We've  an  awful  tough  job  cut  out." 

The  old  bear-hunter  had  stuck  his  coonskin 
cap  upon  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle,  and  he  stared 
up  at  it  for  a  moment. 

"  Reckon  we  have,"  he  said ;  "  but  we  kin 
skirmish  around  the  corners  of  it  somehow. 
I've  been  in  tight  places  before  now,  but  I 
allers  crawled  out  or  fought  out." 

"  We'll  have  to  fight  out  this  time,"  said 
the  large,  determined-looking  man  he  was  talk- 
ing with.  "  But  what  on  earth  are  we  to  do  for 
money  ?" 

"  We're  played  out,"  replied  Crockett, 
thoughtfully.  "  We've  borrowed  all  we  could. 
We've  taxed  till  we  can't  put  on  any  more. 
Uncle  Sam  won't  let  us  have  any.  Houston, 
we're  in  a  hole." 

"  The  worst  of  it  is  right  here,"  continued 
Houston.  "  If  the  legislature  lays  a  tax,  all 
the  cash  is  appropriated  before  it's  collected. 

8  113 


114       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Wliat  I  want  is  some  money  to  spend  without 
giving  any  account  of  it.  We  want  a  powder- 
and-lead  fund.     I've  spent  all  I  had." 

"  You  kin  skin  my  pile,"  said  Crockett. 
"Wish  thar  was  more  of  it.  We're  torn  down 
poor.  We  might  almost  be  whipped  by  Santa 
Anna  for  want  of  money  to  keep  the  men  in 
the  field.     Think  of  losing  the  Alamo !" 

"I  couldn't  help  it  just  now  if  we  did," 
groaned  Houston.     "  It's  safe  yet." 

"'Tis  till  somebody  comes  to  take  it."  was 
the  ominous  response  of  Crockett,  as  he  lowered 
his  rifle  and  put  on  his  coonskin.  "  Just  as  I 
told  ye.  Travis  is  off  on  his  scout  with  half 
the  garrison.  Bowie  went  on  that  expedition 
of  his,  and  I  hope  he  may  get  hack.  Thar 
isn't  enough  powder  in  the  fort  to  fire  all  the 
guns  more'n  twice  'round.  No  provisions  to 
speak  of.  No  nothin'.  If  Greasers  enough 
came,  they  could  a'  most  walk  right  in." 

"  They're  not  ready  to  come  yet,"  said  Hou- 
ston ;  "  but  they're  coming,  Davy  !  There  '11 
be  blood  when  they  get  in  as  far  as  the 
Alamo !" 

"You  bet  thar  will!"  shouted  Crockett, 
springing   to   his  feet.     "  I  mean  to  be   thar 


THE    CAMP    AT    THE    SPRING.  115 

when  they  come.  We  kin  hold  it  ag'in'  all 
Mexico  if  we've  men  and  powder." 

The  two  Texan  patriots  were  not  in  any 
house.  They  had  been  sitting  side  by  side 
upon  a  log  not  far  from  a  rail-fence  corner 
where  their  horses  were  hitched.  From  what 
they  said  it  appeared  that  they  had  met  there 
by  appointment.  It  was  as  good  a  parlor  as 
such  men  needed  to  discuss  affairs  of  state  in. 
Houston  had  now  risen,  and  they  were  walking 
toward  their  horses. 

"  Crockett,"  he  said,  "  it's  time  for  me  to  git 
up  and  git.  You  go  on  to  Washington.  See 
what  you  can  do.  Inquire  about  rifles  and 
cannon  and  ammunition." 

"  Well,"  replied  Crockett,  "  money's  the  best 
kind  of  am'nition,  but  we  needn't  forget  one 
thing.  Santa  Anna  feels  a  kind  of  bowel  grip 
right  thar.  He  can't  fetch  as  many  rancheros 
as  he'd  like  to  cross  the  Rio  Grande  with.  He'd 
ruther  'tend  a  cock-fight  any  day  than  meet 
us  in  a  shootin'  match,  onless  he  was  ten  to 
one." 

"  I  wouldn't  mind  four  to  one,"  said  Hou- 
ston, "  but  I  would  mind  being  cut  uj)  for  lack 
of  powder  to  shoot  with." 


116      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  You  bet !"  said  Crockett,  bitterly.  "  Think 
of  bein'  jest  murdered  by  Greasers  !" 

They  had  reached  their  horses,  and  in  a 
moment  more  they  were  steadily  galloping 
northward. 

A  very  undefined  domain  was  the  vast  re- 
gion to  which  the  Spanish  conquerors  had 
given  the  name  of  Texas.  They  had  never 
thoroughly  explored  it,  nor  had  they  deter- 
mined its  boundaries.  Its  northerly  line  was 
that  of  the  then  French  province  of  Louisi- 
ana, and  that  was  as  uncertain  as  the  weather. 
It  might  be  said  to  begin  at  the  Sabine  Pass 
on  the  sea-shore.  From  that  it  was  supposed 
to  wander  inland.  The  United  States  sur- 
veyors had  made  their  own  maps  after  Jeffer- 
son purchased  Louisiana  from  Napoleon,  but 
they  had  no  direct  French  or  Spanish  help. 

Westward,  Texas  was  believed  to  have  a 
limit  somewhere  among  the  as  yet  unvisited 
mountains  and  plains.  No  line  had  been  fixed 
on  that  side.  Southward,  the  old  Spanish 
maps,  and  afterwards  the  Mexican  copies  of 
them,  were  at  variance  as  to  whether  the 
Nueces  River  or  the  Rio  Grande  marked  the 
Texas  border.      This  was  of  less  consequence 


THE    CAMP    AT    THE    SPRING.  117 

so  long  as  Texas  should  belong  to  Mexico,  but, 
a  few  years  later,  those  conflicting  maps  played 
an  important  part  in  bringing  about  the  war 
with  the  United  States.  All  of  that  record 
belongs  to  history,  and  so  does  the  older  claim 
that  Texas  never,  at  any  time,  belonged  to 
Spain,  but  was,  in  part  at  least,  French  terri- 
tory, and  was  sold  to  the  United  States,  accord- 
ingly, along  with  Louisiana. 

It  is  history  now,  but  that  history  had  not 
been  made  up  when,  late  that  day,  Colonel 
Bowie  and  his  men  rode  out  of  the  long  ravine 
and  found  themselves  upon  an  open  prairie. 
It  was  dotted  here  and  there  with  groves  of  oak. 
Much  more  interesting  at  first  to  the  mounted 
marksmen  was  the  fact  that  it  was  also  dotted  by 
several  small  droves  of  wild  cattle. 

"  Buffalo!"  exclaimed  Bowie.  "I  didn't 
think  of  meeting  any  here.  We  must  have 
one.  Then  we'll  go  into  camp  as  soon  as  we 
can  find  water." 

"  Ugh  !"  came  instantly  from  the  Lipan  boy. 
"Red  Wolf  find  heap  water." 

"  Bully  !"  said  the  colonel.  "  This  used  to 
be  a  Lipan  hunting-ground.  Go  ahead.  Find 
us  a  good  spring." 


118   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

Red  Wolf  had  his  orders  and  off  he  went, 
while  Jim  Cheyne  looked  after  him  and  re- 
marked emphatically, — 

"That  young  chap's  going  to  be  a  blister. 
But  now,  boys,  don't  let's  load  up  too  much 
with  meat.     One  good  critter's  all  we  want." 

"  All  right,"  replied  one  of  his  comrades ; 
"but,  Jim,  if  we  keep  our  hair  on  overnight 
thar  won't  be  any  time  wasted  od  huntin'  to- 
morrow." 

"  We  shall  strike  straight  for  the  Nueces,  and 
then  for  the  Rio  Grande,"  said  Bowie.  "  Gnat 
Bear  hasn't  let  up  on  us,  and  we  must  look  out 
for  him  all  the  time.     He's  just  death  on  a  trail/' 

"You  kin  swar  to  that/'  added  Cheyne. 
"He's  as  ready  to  ride  into  Mexico,  too,  as  we 
are.     How's  that,  Tetzeatl?" 

"  Bueno  /"  snapped  the  dark-faced  panther. 
"Comanches  find  Bravo'a  lancers  beyond  the 
river.     Kill  them  all." 

He  gave  no  reason  for  the  resentful  feeling 
he  had  shown  against  Great  Bear,  but  loud 
chuckles  among  the  men  expressed  their  ap- 
proval of  his  idea  that  if  the  Comanches  should 
meet  the  lancers  the  story  of  the  Kilkenny  cats 
would  be  repeated. 


THE  CAMP  AT  THE  SPRING.       119 

A  general  hunt  was  forbidden  on  account  of 
the  horses,  and  only  two  men  went  out  as 
buffalo  butchers. 

On  leaving  his  party,  Red  Wolf  rode  in  a 
kind  of  long  circuit  instead  of  aiming  at  the 
nearest  grove.  He  galloped  a  full  mile  before 
he  gave  any  reason  why  he  had  not  gone  in  a 
straight  line.  He  may  have  been  a  little  un- 
certain about  his  landmarks,  but  he  made  no 
considerable  error  in  his  calculations. 

"  Ugh !"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  pulled  in  upon 
the  crest  of  a  prairie  roll  and  looked  forward 
earnestly.  "  Heap  hole.  Big  stone.  Big 
Knife  get  water." 

He  was  near  the  brink  of  a  deep  and  remark- 
able hollow.  It  was  almost  regularly  funnel- 
shaped,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  it  sat  a 
large  boulder  of  granite.  Such  "  sink-holes" 
can  be  found  only  in  limestone  formations. 
They  are  supposed  to  lead  to  caverns  and  sub- 
terranean watercourses.  The  presence  of  a 
mass  of  granite  was,  therefore,  one  of  the  many 
puzzles  for  geologists.  Perhaps  it  had  floated 
there  upon  a  cake  of  ice.  Then  the  ice  had 
melted ;  the  water  had  run  off  down  the  sink- 
hole ;  and  the  boulder  was  left  to  supply  the 


120      THE    LOST   GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZtJMAS. 

red  hunters  of  the  plains  with  a  perpetual 
guide-board. 

"  Big  stone  here,"  he  said.     "  Water  there." 

The  direction  in  which  he  rode  away  gave 
his  words  an  explanation.  He  went  as  straight 
as  an  arrow  for  more  than  another  mile,  hardly 
glancing  aside,  either  at  groves  of  trees  or 
herds  of  fat  bisons. 

Meantime,  the  white  men  he  was  providing 
refreshment  for  rode  slowly  onward.  They 
heard  a  brace  of  rifle  reports,  and  took  the 
success  of  their  hunters  for  granted.  They 
remarked  to  each  other,  however,  that  good 
luck  was  with  them,  for  "  bufler"  were  getting 
scarcer  year  after  year  bo  far  as  that  to  the 
eastward. 

"One  of  these  days,"  said  Bowie,  "they'll 
all  be  gone.  This  '11  be  corn  land  then,  and 
every  farmer  '11  raise  his  own  beef." 

"He'll  kill  it  for  himself,  too,"  laughed 
Cheyne.  "  I  don't  want  to  be  here  then.  I'd 
ruther  have  my  beef  rnnnin'  round  the  prairie 
for  free  shootin'." 

Bowie's  eyes  were  all  the  while  busy  in  a 
search  for  "sign."  He  had  found  none  near 
his  present  line  of  march,  but  if  he  could  have 


THE    CAMP    AT    THE   SPRING.  121 

looked  back  upon  his  entire  trail  he  would  have 
seen  several  things  to  interest  him. 

The  first  point  was  in  the  timber  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  long  ravine.  A  dozen  braves  of  the 
Comanches  were  grouped,  on  foot,  around  the 
opening  through  which  Tetzcatl  had  so  sud- 
denly disappeared.  They  were  watching,  bow 
in  hand,  as  if  it  had  been  the  den  of  some  wild 
animal,  or  rather  as  if,  possibly,  some  returning 
Texan  might  at  any  moment  show  himself  as  a 
target. 

Not  far  down  the  ravine,  but  on  the  upper 
level  on  one  side  of  it,  three  more  braves  sat  in 
silence  by  the  body  of  their  tribesman  who  had 
been  slain  by  the  bullet  of  Cheyne  or  Bowie. 
Every  now  and  then  they  peered  over  into  the 
gorge  below  and  listened  as  if  for  the  sounds 
of  horse-hoofs  upon  the  gravelly  bottom. 
Watchers  had  been  set,  therefore,  to  intercept 
any  returning  ranger.  That  was  only  by  way 
of  precaution,  in  case  of  an  escape  from  the 
other  part  of  the  relentless  pursuit. 

Miles  and  miles  away,  along  the  route  of  the 
winding  cleft  and  on  its  westerly  side,  rode  twice 
as  many  Comanches  as  had  been  with  Great 
Bear  when  first  he  had  been  seen  by  Bed  Wolf, 


122       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZTTMAS. 

on  the  plain  beyond  the  chaparral,  two  days 
before.  His  reinforcements  had  arrived  and 
he  was  ready  for  extensive  mischief. 

At  point  after  point,  wherever  the  ravine  was 
approachable  and  descent  into  it  fairly  easy,  a 
warrior  on  foot,  sometimes  even  on  horseback, 
would  go  down  and  search  any  soft  earth  at 
the  side  of  the  little  rill  at  the  bottom.  Then 
he  would  swiftly  return,  report  that  he  had 
found  the  trail  ;  that  Bowie's  men  were  farther 
down,  all  of  them;  and  the  band  would  ride 
steadily  on. 

Of  course,  this  did  not  mean  rapid  riding, 
but  it  did  mean  a  deadly  and  persistent  pur- 
suit. It  meant  a  bloody  revenge  for  slain  war- 
riors. 

One  brave  was  now  sent  back  after  the  squad 
of  watchers,  but  Great  Bear's  force  was  a  very 
strong  one  without  them.  Yet  other  braves 
were  riding  fast  and  far  in  the  advance. 

Sooner  or  later  it  was  sure  that  such  a  follow- 
ing, by  trailers  so  skilful  and  so  determined, 
would  bring  them  near  enough  for  a  sweeping 
blow.  What  could  half  a  dozen  rangers  and 
one  Lipan  boy  do  against  the  overwhelming 
rush  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  warriors  ? 


THE    CAMP    AT    THE    SPRING.  123 

Red  Wolf  did  not  actually  come  back  to  his 
white  friends.  He  only  rode  near  enough  to 
whoop  to  them  and  to  wave  his  lance,  as  if  in- 
viting them  to  follow. 

"  That's  high !"  exclaimed  Jim  Cheyne. 
"  AVe  might  ha'  hunted  fur  water  all  night  if 
it  hadn't  been  for  him." 

"  It  takes  an  Indian  sometimes,"  replied  the 
colonel.  "  But  this  crowd  won't  make  a  long 
camp  on  this  prairie." 

"  You  bet !"  came  from  several  voices  at 
once,  and  away  they  rode  after  the  young 
Lipan. 

It  was  a  very  pretty  place  for  a  camp,  when 
they  came  to  look  at  it.  Nearly  an  acre  of 
ground  was  occupied  by  tall,  old  sycamores 
and  spreading  oaks,  and  outside  of  these  were 
bushes.  In  the  middle  of  all  was  a  fine  spring, 
from  which  a  tiny  brooklet  rippled  out  into 
the  plain.  Close  around  the  spring  the  ground 
had  been  trodden  hard  by  the  hoofs  of  many 
generations  of  buffalo  and  deer,  but  there  was 
plenty  of  grass  without  picketing  their  horses 
outside  of  the  grove. 

"  Boys,"  said  Bowie,  "if  Great  Bear  should 
find  us,  he'll  have  braves  enough  to  corral  us 


124      THE   LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

in  such  a  place  as  this.  They  could  just  ride 
around  and  around,  out  of  shot,  and  pen  us  in 
till  we  starved." 

"That's  so,"  put  in  a  short,  bandy-legged 
ranger  whom  the  others  had  called  "  Joe,1'  with- 
out  troubling  themselves  to  add  any  other 
name ;  "  but  I  reckon  we  won't  wait  to  be 
penned  in.  What  I'm  a-thinkin'  of  jest  now 
is  bufler  hump." 

He  had  the  entire  sympathy  of  his  hungry 
comrades,  and  they  did  not  have  to  wait  long. 
The  fire  was  hardly  up  in  good  shape  before 
the  two  hunters  rode  in,  bringing  the  best 
pieces  of  a  fine  "  bufler." 

"  Now  we're  all  right  for  rations,"  said  Jim 
Cheyne;  "  but  I'd  like  to  know  what's  went 
with  that  young  Li  pan  wolf." 

Every  man  glanced  quickly  around  him,  but 
the  son  of  Castro  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  He 
had  been  as  ready  for  his  supper  as  any  white 
man,  but  stronger  than  anything  else  wTas  his 
feeling  that  he  was  on  his  first  war-path.  He 
was  a  brave  of  the  Lipans,  with  a  new  name 
and  a  new  knife.  He  had  already  won  some 
glory  and  he  was  burning  for  more.  As  for 
even   buffalo    "  hump,"   a  Lipan  warrior  who 


THE  CAMP  AT  THE  SPRING.       125 

could  not  go  without  his  dinner  had  never  yet 
been  heard  of. 

He  had  mounted  silently,  therefore,  and  had 
galloped  away,  straight  back,  along  the  line 
by  which  he  had  first  come  to  the  grove  and 
spring.  He  and  his  pony  had  been  watered, 
and  the  latter  had  nibbled  a  little  grass,  but 
that  was  all. 

"  Comanche  come  to  hole,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, as  he  rode  along.     "  Eed  Wolf  see." 

The  plan  in  his  head  seemed  to  include  noth- 
ing more  than  scouting  duty,  but  this  was  of  a 
peculiar  and  dangerous  kind. 

The  shadows  were  deepening  in  the  groves 
and  on  the  prairie  when  Red  Wolf  reached  the 
sink-hole,  but  he  was  able  to  examine  it  care- 
fully. The  sides  of  the  funnel-shaped  hollow 
were  not  too  steep  in  some  places,  and  he  led 
his  mustang  half-way  down.  He  picketed  him 
there,  upon  a  slope  where  he  could  stand,  a  lit- 
tle uncomfortably,  and  pick  grass,  which  was 
greener  than  any  on  the  outside  prairie.  As 
soon  as  this  was  cared  for,  Red  Wolf  went  up 
again  and  stationed  himself  by  the  boulder. 
There  was  quite  enough  granite  for  one  watcher 
to  hide  behind. 


126       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"Ugh!"  he  said.  "Texan  too  much  fire. 
Comanche  find  cam]).     Where  Big  Knife?" 

It  required  eyes  like  his  to  detect,  at  that 
distance,  a  few  faint  sparks  which  had  floated  up 
above  the  trees  and  an  exceedingly  dull  glow 
of  light  that  was  just  then  showing. 

"  Texan  heap  fool !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Great 
Bear  come.     Ugh  !" 

He  hardly  did  his  white  chief  justice,  how- 
ever, for  Colonel  Bowie  was  even  then  ordering 
the  fire  to  be  smothered  as  soon  as  the  needful 
cooking  could  he  done.  There  would  be  no 
more  sparks  nor  any  glow  to  betray  the  camp. 

"  Colonel/'  said  Joe  in  reply,  "  it's  all  right, 
but  we'd  better  jest  lop  down  and  snooze. 
Mebbe  it's  all  the  chance  we'll  git  for  a  nap." 

"  Snooze  away/'  said  the  colonel ;  but  Jim 
Chevne  was  looking  around  him,  and  he  sud- 
denly exclaimed, — 

"  I  say  !  What's  become  of  that  thar  old 
tiger  ?     He  didn't  go  off  with  the  Lipan  cub." 

"  No,"  said  Joe.  "  That  he  didn't.  He  was 
'round  yer  ehawin'  bufler  meat  not  five  min- 
utes ago.  I  heerd  him  say  something  'bout  his 
mule__" 

"  Mule's  gone,"  came  from  a  ranger  who  had 


THE    CAMP    AT    THE    SPRING.  127 

stepped  away  to  look  for  him.  "  Tell  ye  what, 
boys,  that  thar  old  rascal's  gone  back  on  us." 

"  I  reckon  not,"  replied  Bowie,  after  a  mo- 
ment of  consideration.  "  He  hasn't  gone  to 
Great  Bear,  but  we  shan't  see  him  again  till  we 
get  to  the  Hacienda  Dolores.  Red  Wolf's  gone 
scouting." 

"  That's  his  best  hold,"  said  Joe.  "  Glad  he 
went ;  but  they'll  get  him  if  he  doesn't  watch 
out  sharp." 

That  was  precisely  what  he  was  doing,  as  he 
crouched  behind  the  boulder,  almost  as  motion- 
less and  silent  as  the  stone  itself. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE    SKIRMISH    IN    THE    NIGHT. 

THE  great  gate  stockade  at  the  southeastern 
corner  of  the  Alamo,  near  the  church, 
was  closed.  There  seemed  to  be  no  patrol  out- 
side of  the  wall  and  all  was  quiet  within,  but  a 
solitary  sentry  paced  to  and  fro  at  the  gate, 
with  his  rifle  over  his  shoulder.  He  was  con- 
sidering the  situation  as  li«'  walked,  for  he 
remarked,  as  if  to  the  shadows  around  him, — 

"This  yer  fort  is  pretty  much  taking  ker  of 
itself,  but  the  Greasers  don't  know  it.  Thar 
ain't  any  of  'em  nigh  enough  to  come  for  it, 
anyhow.  Ef  they  did,  what  thar  is  of  us  could 
give  up  this  'ere  outside  cattle-pen  and  retreat 
into  the  fort.  We'd  hev  to  give  up  the  church, 
but  we  could  garrison  the  Convent  till  help  got 
yer.     That's  all  we  could  do." 

At  that  moment  his  rifle  came  down,  for  he 
heard  a  sound  of  hoofs  that  ceased  in  front  of 
the  gate.  Out  went  the  muzzle  of  his  piece  at 
a  shot-hole,  and  he  looked  along  its  barrel  as  he 
demanded  of  the  rider, — 

128 


THE    SKIRMISH    IX    THE    XIGHT.  129 

"  Who  goes  thar  ?" 

"  Sam  Houston  I"  came  loudly  back.  "  Open 
quick  !     I'm  followed  !" 

"  Boys  !"  yelled  the  sentry.  "  It's  old  Sam 
himself!     Come  on  !     I'll  git  the  gate  open  !" 

"  I  met  Crockett !"  shouted  Houston.  "  He's 
all  right.  But  I've  about  ridden  this  horse  to 
death.  Down  he  goes!  They're  coming! 
Lancers !" 

Several  pairs  of  hands  were  busy  with  the 
massive  bars  of  the  portal,  and  two  of  the  men 
had  stationed  themselves  by  the  six-pounder 
gun  that  stood  there,  facing  it,  like  an  iron 
watchman. 

Outside,  the  general  stood  by  his  fallen 
horse,  calm  and  steady  as  a  tree,  with  a  heavy 
pistol  in  each  hand. 

"I've  barely  distanced  them,"  he  said. 
"  Ready,  boys  !     Give  'em  something  !" 

Excepting  for  the  sound  of  their  horses' 
hoofs  Houston's  pursuers  were  making  no 
noise,  but  they  were  now  dangerously  near 
him. 

Open  swung  the  gate,  and  the  men  who 
opened  it  could  see  the  glitter  of  lance-heads  in 
the  moonlight. 

9 


130      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Step  in,  gineral  !" 

"  Jumji  now  !     Git  out  o'  the  way  !" 

"  Quick,  Sam  !  I  want  to  let  'em  have  it. 
Git  inside !" 

Altogether  unceremonious  were  the  rough 
men  of  the  border  in  their  hurried  greetings  to 
the  man  whom  they  really  loved  and  trusted 
above  other  men.  He  did  not  seem  to  hurry, 
however.  It  was  with  a  great  deal  of  natural 
dignity  that  he  strode  through  the  gate-way. 
He  was  willing  to  escape  the  thrusts  of  those 
lances,  but  he  felt  no  throb  of  fear. 

He  was  safely  away  from  the  range  of  the 
six-pounder,  and  that  was  all,  when  the  report 
of  the  sentry's  rifle  at  the  shot-hole  was 
followed  instantly  by  the  roar  of  the  cannon. 

"  It  wras  pretty  much  all  the  grape  we  had," 
said  one  of  the  cannoneers,  "  but  I  reckon  we 
kin  load  her  once  ag'in.  Hope  we  gethered 
some  on  'em." 

It  had  been  short  range,  just  the  thing  for 
grape-shot.  The  lancers  had  not  dreamed  of 
such  a  greeting  as  that  in  the  night,  at  the 
very  moment  of  their  supposed  success.  They 
had  felt  all  but  sure  of  striking  a  blow  which 
would  have  been  to  Texas  like  the  defeat  of  an 


THE    SKIRMISH    IX    THE    FIGHT.  131 

armv.  They  had  followed  their  intended  vic- 
tim fast  and  far.  In  tracing  his  movements 
from  place  to  place,  and  in  this  final  dash  for 
his  life,  they  had  exhibited  more  than  a  little 
daring  and  enterprise. 

They  were  barely  a  minute  too  late  at  the 
end  of  their  long  race,  but  they  were  just  in 
time  to  be  struck  by  that  deadly  storm  of 
grape-shot.  Down  went  horses  and  men. 
Down  went  flashing  lance-points  and  fluttering 
pennons,  while  loud  cries  of  pain,  and  execra- 
tions, and  shouts  of  astonishment  told  how 
terrible  had  been  the  effect  of  "  about  the  last 
grist  of  it  that  we  had  in  the  fort." 

"Load  up,  boys!"  said  Houston.  "Close 
the  gate.     That's  all  there  is  of  that  crowd." 

"  Thar  they  go,  what's  left  of  'em,"  replied 
the  sentry. 

The  fort  had  not  been  left  without  an  officer, 
however,  and  another  voice  shouted, — 

"  Steady  !  Men  !  Lanterns  !  A  detail  of 
six.  I'll  go  out  and  see  what  we  did  with  that 
grape." 

The  lanterns  were  already  coming,  and  Hou- 
ston himself  marched  out  with  the  detail.  He 
stooped  to  look  into  the  face  of  a  Mexican  who 


132   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

had  fallen  several  paces  in  advance  of  the 
others. 

"  Colonel  Jose  Canales !"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Well,  boys,  Santa  Anna  has  lost  one  of  the 
bravest  men  in  his  whole  army.  I'm  glad  he 
hasn't  many  more  like  him." 

"Eight  killed  and  three  wounded,  counting 
him  in,"  responded  a  ranger.  "  It's  the  uni- 
form of  the  Tampico  regiment.  Canales  took 
his  best  men  for  this  hunt.  Mr.  Houston, 
you've  had  a  narrow  escape  this  time.  You 
mustn't  ever  do  it  ag'in.  You  ort  to  be  locked 
up.     You'd  no  business  to  run  such  a  risk  !" 

"Why,  boys,"  Baid  the  general,  "I  was  un- 
easy about  the  fort.  Crockett  told  me  more 
than  I  knew  before,  and  I  came  right  on  to 
inspect." 

"  Inspect  thunder  !"  exclaimed  the  officer  in 
command,  a  slight-looking  fellow  in  a  buckskin 
shirt  and  tow  trousers  for  uniform.  "  Thar 
isn't  much  to  inspect.  What  we  want  is  more 
men  and  more  rifles,  and  more  powder  and 
lead." 

"  Tell  you  what,  Houston,"  added  the  gunner 
who  had  fired  off  the  grape,  "  don't  you  know  ? 
If  the  Greasers  came  into   Texas,  this  is  the 


THE    SKIRMISH    IX    THE    XIGHT.  133 

first  p'int  they'd  make  for.  They'll  want  it 
bad." 

"  What's  more  just  now,  gineral,"  shouted 
a  half-angry  ranger,  "  'twas  n't  your  place  to 
lose  yer  skelp  a-comin'.  The  rest  o'  the  boys 
feel  jest  as  I  do.  You  mustn't  try  on  seeh  a 
fool  caper  ag'in.  Texas  can't  afford  to  throw 
ye  away  'bout  now.  Ef  you  was  wiped  out 
things  'ud  go  to  pieces." 

The  protests  of  the  brave  riflemen  were  ex- 
ceedingly free,  but  they  were  utterly  sincere. 
They  were  freemen,  talking  to  a  man  who  per- 
fectly understood  them.  He  therefore  apolo- 
gized, explained,  promised  faithfully  to  do  bet- 
ter next  time,  and  they  let  him  up. 

Far  away,  beyond  the  belt  of  chaparral  and 
the  long  ravine,  another  Texan  patriot,  as  de- 
voted as  Houston,  sat  by  his  covered  camp-fire 
in  the  grove,  and  it  seemed  as  if  he  were  echo- 
ing the  words  of  the  garrison  of  the  Alamo. 

"  Arms  and  ammunition,"  he  said.  "  There 
won't  be  any  lack  of  men  if  we  can  feed  'em. 
But  a  Mexican  with  a  machete  or  a  lance  might 
put  under  a  rifleman  out  o'  jDOwder." 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  he 
added, — 


134       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  I  mustn't  get  myself  killed  on  this  trip. 
If  I  do,  Houston  '11  never  know  about  that  pile 
in  the  adobe  hole.  I'll  be  more  careful  than  I 
ever  was  before." 

He  was  not  noted  for  special  care  concerning 
his  personal  safety,  but  he  now  arose  and  went 
around  the  camp,  from  man  to  man  and  from 
horse  to  horse.  He  seemed  to  be  all  alert, 
watchful.  There  was  to  be  no  surprise  of  that 
camp  for  any  fault  of  his. 

It  was  now  getting  well  on  into  the  night. 
Only  a  little  earlier  there  had  been  a  slight 
movement  of  the  shadowy  form  that  was  crouch- 
ing at  the  side  of  the  boulder  at  the  sink-hole. 

"Ugh!"  muttered  Pud  Wolf,  but  he  said  no 
more,  as  he  peered  eagerly  over  the  rock. 

Only  such  ears  as  his  could  have  caught 
a  few  low  sounds  that  floated  toward  him  on 
the  night-wind.  They  were  cautiously-spoken 
words  in  the  Comanche  tongue,  and  the  speakers 
were  within  a  hundred  feet  of  him. 

"  Sink-hole,"  he  heard  them  say.  "  No 
Texans  there.  Big  Knife  took  them  to  the 
water.  Go  bring  Great  Bear.  We  find  Big 
Knife." 

There  he  lost  several  words,  but  it  was  plain 


THE   SKIRMISH    IN    THE    NIGHT.  135 

enough.  These  were  only  an  advance  party. 
They  had  sent  a  brave  back  to  guide  their  main 
body,  and  were  themselves  to  ride  on  to  make 
sure  of  the  Texans  being  at  the  camp-ground  so 
well  known  to  Indian  hunters.  One  of  their 
number  was  to  remain  at  the  sink-hole. 

"Trap  Big  Knife?"  thought  Ked  Wolf. 
"  No.  Heap  eye.  Texan  sleep.  Great  chief 
wait  for  Comanches." 

He  evidently  had  great  confidence  in  his  hero, 
and  he  hardly  breathed  while  several  horsemen 
went  by,  leaving  a  solitary  brave  to  mount 
guard  at  the  outer  side  of  the  boulder. 

He  was  very  near.  It  was  almost  certain 
that  before  long  he  would  discover  whatever 
might  be  living  near  him  if  it  moved.  It 
would  be  useless,  therefore,  for  Ked  Wolf  to 
try  to  escape  on  foot  that  he  might  warn  the 
camp.  It  would  be  even  greater  folly  to  go 
down  into  the  sink-hole  after  his  mustang. 
It  was  hardly  safe,  at  first,  to  risk  the  slight 
motion  required  in  fitting  an  arrow  to  the 
string.  He  must  wait,  he  thought.  But  if 
he  did,  what  about  the  Texans  if  Big  Knife 
should  lie  down  and  go  to  sleep  ?  Even  that 
small  party  of  Comanche  warriors  might  dash 


136       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

in  and  take  a  scalp  or  stampede  the  horses. 
They  were  very  dangerous  fellows  on  a  war- 
path or  prowling  around  an  enemy's  cam}). 

"  Ugh  !"  exclaimed  the  Comanche,  wheeling 
his  horse  and  lowering  his  lance. 

Red  Wolf's  mustang  had  not  been  at  all  com- 
fortable down  there  in  the  dark.  He  had  picked 
grass  and  he  had  stepped  up  and  down  at  the 
end  of  his  tether.  He  had  heard  hoofs  go  by. 
Now  he  was  aware  of  the  presence  of  another 
horse  near  him,  and  he  sent  up  short  neighs  of 
inquiry.     He  uttered  the  mustang  words  for, — 

"  Hullo,  pony,  who  are  you  ?" 

The  Comanche  at  once  responded, — 

"Where  are  you?     Hey?" 

"  Horse  in  hole !"  exclaimed  the  warrior. 
"  Where  Texan  ?    Where  Lipan  ?" 

He  listened  a  moment,  and  again  the  animals 
spoke  to  each  other. 

"  Ugh  !"  said  the  Comanche.  "  Texan  go 
away  and  leave  pony.  Go  take  him.  Heap 
brave !" 

It  was  a  piece  of  reckless  daring,  indeed,  to 
go  down  alone  into  that  blind  hollow.  There 
might  be  something  much  more  dangerous  than 
a  pony  lurking  there.     Again  assuring  himself, 


THE    SKIRMISH    IX    THE    NIGHT.  137 

however,  that  he  was  a  great  brave  and  afraid 
of  nothing,  he  sprang  to  the  ground.  He  teth- 
ered his  own  pony,  laid  aside  his  bow  and  lance 
and  club  and  drew  his  knife.  He  adjusted  his 
shield  upon  his  left  arm,  and  then  he  was 
ready. 

His  worst  peril  was  not  in  the  hole.  While 
he  was  making  his  rapid  preparations  Red 
Wolf  made  his  own.  His  arrow  was  in  its 
place  now,  and  he  was  almost  lying  flat  at  the 
corner  of  the  boulder. 

There  was  not  light  enough  for  long-range 
archery,  but  now  the  Comanche  brave  stepped 
stealthily  forward,  knife  in  hand,  his  shield  up, 
and  his  short,  hard  breathing  testifying  his 
intense  excitement.  He  slipped  along  past 
the  rock. 

"  Twang"  went  the  Lipan  boy's  bowstring, 
and  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  drawing  his  own 
knife  as  he  did  so, — the  splendid  present  of 
Bowie,  the  white  hero. 

Loud,  fierce,  agonized,  was  the  yell  of  the 
stricken  warrior,  but  even  in  his  agony  he 
whirled  around  to  face  his  unexpected  assail- 
ant. He  had  strength  yet,  for  he  sprang  at 
Red  Wolf  like  a  wounded  wildcat. 


138       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

Away  darted  the  son  of  Castro,  but  his 
enemy,  a  man  of  size  and  muscle,  was  close 
behind  him.  But  that  he  was  already  mortally 
hurt  he  would  have  made  short  work  of  the 
young  bowman. 

Back  and  forth  among  the  shadows  bounded 
and  dodged  the  ill-matched  combatants.  Red 
Wolf  had  no  shield,  and  his  knife  glanced 
more  than  once  from  the  smooth,  bard  bison- 
hide  of  his  opponent's  round  buckler. 

"  Udi !"  screeched  the  Comanche  at  the  end 
of  a  terrific  minute,  and  he  sank  into  the 
grass. 

He  had  done  his  best,  all  the  while  failing, 
but  now  the  end  had  come,  and  Red  Wolf 
shortly  walked  back  after  the  horses.  His 
own  mustang  was  led  out  of  the  hollow,  the 
Comanche  pony,  a  fine  one,  was  taken  posses- 
sion of,  with  his  late  owner's  weapons  and  orna- 
ments and  the  much-prized  trophy  of  victory. 
"More  Comanche  come  pretty  soon,"  he 
exclaimed.  "  Red  Wolf  take  hair.  Tell  Big 
Knife.     Tell  Castro.     Who-op !" 

Never  before  had  he  sounded  so  loudly,  so 
triumphantly,  the  war-cry  of  his  tribe,  but  the 
whoops  which  answered  him  did  not  come  from 


'•Ugh  !'-"  screeched  tbe  Comanche  at  the  end  of  a  terrific  minute, 
and  he  sank  into  the  grass. 


THE    SKIRMISH    IN    THE    NIGHT.  139 

the  direction  of  the  camp.     They  arose  from 
the  northward  and  told  of  many  whoopers. 

As  for  the  scouting-party,  if  any  of  them 
had  turned  back  to  assist  their  comrade  at  the 
sink-hole,  they  as  yet  were  silent.  So  was  Ked 
Wolf  now,  as  he  galloped  away  into  the  dark- 
ness. 

The  camp  was  too  far  away  for  even  a  death- 
whoop  to  reach  it,  but  Colonel  Bowie's  tour  of 
guard  duty  had  led  him  out  at  last  to  a  tuft 
of  sumach-bushes,  beyond  the  easterly  border 
of  the  grove. 

Here  he  stood,  looking  out  somewhat  list- 
lessly, but  before  long  he  uttered  a  low,  sharp 
exclamation,  and  brought  his  rifle  to  his  shoul- 
der. 

"  They've  come!"  he  said.  "I  must  rouse 
the  boys.  It's  life  or  death  this  time.  How 
they  tracked  us  here  I  don't  know." 

As  he  glanced  along  the  rifle-barrel  he  could 
see  dim  forms  on  horseback  glide  between  him 
and  the  starlit  horizon.  They  were  at  no 
great  distance,  and  he  turned  to  send  into  the 
camp  a  piercing  whistle.  It  reached  the  ear 
of  every  ranger,  asleep  or  awake.  Even  the 
horses  seemed  to  understand  that  it  was  a  note 


140      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

of  alarm,  and  they  began  to  step  around  as  if 
they  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  their  saddles  on. 
They  need  not  have  been  in  any  anxiety,  for 
when  the  men  sprang  to  their  feet,  rifles  in 
hand,  their  first  care  was  for  their  four-footed 
comrades. 

An  immediate  reply  to  Bowie's  whistle  came 
also  from  away  oul  on  the  prairie. 

"That's  the  warning  whoop  of  the  Lipans," 
he  said  to  his  men.  "Red  Wolf  is  oul  there 
somewhere.  Hope  tiny  won't  get  him.  Pie 
shouldn't  ha'  whooped." 

But  Red  Wolf  had  not  been  unwise,  after 
all.  The  Comanche  scouts  were  few  in  num- 
ber and  they  had  no  desire  to  be  caught  be- 
tween two  fires,  Lipans,  if  there  were  any,  on 
one  side,  and  the  riflemen  on  the  other.  They 
therefore  dashed  ahead,  and  then  nearer,  louder 
than  before,  the  Lipan  yell  sounded  again. 

"  That's  a  startler!"  exclaimed  Bowie.  "It 
isn't  the  boy  !     It's  a  grown-up  screech." 

Another  of  the  full-sized  startlers  came,  and 
a  third,  a  fourth. 

In,  however,  without  any  more  whooping, 
galloped  Red  Wolf  himself,  with  his  prizes  and 
his  pride  and  his  exceedingly  important  news. 


THE    SKIRMISH    IX    THE    XIGHT.  141 

Closely  behind  him  followed  yet  another 
horseman,  coming  at  speed,  and,  in  a  moment 
more,  Bowie  stood  face  to  face  with  Castro,  as 
the  Lipan  chief,  springing  to  the  ground,  strode 
forward  and  held  out  a  hand. 

"Big  Knife  here?"  he  said.  "Good.  Li- 
pans  at  Hacienda  Dolores  pretty  soon.  Castro 
ride  back  on  trail.  Find  friend.  Heap  talk 
by  and  by." 

"  All  right,  chief,"  said  Bowie.  "  But  the 
Comanches  are  here.  Let  Red  Wolf  tell  what 
he  found.     Quick  !" 

Very  raj}id  indeed  was  the  young  warrior's 
account  of  his  performances,  and  Castro  seemed 
to  be  growing  taller  in  his  glorification  over 
such  a  feat  done  by  his  younger  self. 

All  who  heard  could  fully  appreciate,  and 
Bed  Wolf  had  quite  as  much  praise  as  was 
good  for  him. 

"  Chief!"  said  Bowie.  "  Men  !  It's  mount 
and  ride  now.  Heap  the  fire.  Pack  the 
bufler  meat.  Fill  the  canteens.  Get  a  good 
ready." 

He  and  Castro  had  more  questions  to  ask  and 
answer  while  the  swift  preparations  went  on, 
and  Bed  Wolf  was  thoroughly  cross-examined. 


142       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

There  were  no  additional  tokens  of  enemies 
near  the  camp,  but  if  the  scouting-party  had 
discovered  that  the  Texans  were  on  guard, 
another  party  of  Comanches,  halted  at  the  sink- 
hole, knew  that  they  had  lost  a  comrade  and 
that  he  had  fallen  by  the  hand  of  an  Indian. 
The  Texans  did  not  use  arrows  nor  take  scalps. 
It  was  a  matter  for  thoughtful  consideration,  to 
be  reported  to  Great  Bear. 

"  Ready  now,"  came  at  last  in  a  low  voice 
from  Bowie.  "Mount!  Lead  ahead,  chief. 
We  can    get  a  good    start  of  'em  before  day- 

light.- 

It  was  well  to  have  (astro  for  a  guide,  but 
it  was  mainly  due  to  Red  Wolf  that  they  dared 
to  stir  out  of  camp  and  cover  at  all.  But  for 
the  information  he  brought  of  the  exact  situa- 
tion, prudence  might  have  bidden  them  to  re- 
main and  fight  behind  the  trees,  in  the  belief 
that  overwhelming  numbers  were  around  them. 

As  it  was,  no  Comanche  knew  of  the  depart- 
ure from  the  camp.  Even  when  the  first  rein- 
forcements arrived,  all  that  the  red  cavalry 
deemed  it  well  to  do,  without  the  personal 
presence  and  orders  of  Great  Bear,  was  to  ride 
slowly  around  the  grove  and  make  sure  that 


THE    SKIRMISH    IN    THE    NIGHT.  143 

nobody  in  it  should  have  a  chance  to  get  away. 
The  fire  was  blazing  high,  and  they  thought  of 
what  marksmen  among  the  trees  and  bushes 
were  ready  to  shoot  by  the  light  of  it.  There 
was  nothing  to  gain  by  over-haste,  and  they 
waited. 

All  the  while,  across  the  southward  prairie, 
Bowie  and  his  men  rode  on,  and  now  they 
knew,  from  Castro,  that  General  Bravo  and  his 
lancers  had  been  seen  along  the  line  of  the  Bio 
Grande. 

"  We  can  keep  out  of  his  way,"  said  the  col- 
onel, "  but,  next  thing  to  outracing  Great  Bear, 
I  want  to  get  a  sight  of  Tetzcatl.  I  reckon 
he'll  kind  o'  come  up  out  o'  the  ground  just 
when  we  don't  expect  him." 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Castro.  "  Heap  snake.  Heap 
lie.     Xo  want  him." 


CHAPTER    X, 


A    BAFFLED    PURSUIT. 


rTlHOSE  were    dark   days    for   Texas.     Too 
-*-      many    of  the    white   settlers    were    new 

arrivals,  who  as  yet  were  in  a  strange  country 
and  had  not  made  up  their  minds  as  to  what 
leadership  they  would  trust.  There  was,  in- 
deed, a  strong  central  body  of  veteran-  who 
rallied  around  Sam  Houston  and  General 
Austin.  They  were  the  right  men  for  a 
battle-field,  but  they  had  very  little  ready 
money. 

Thus  far,  in  fact,  very  nearly  the  best  pro- 
tection for  the  young  republic  had  been  given 
by  the  disordered  condition  of  public  affairs 
in  Mexico.  At  last,  however,  the  ablest  man 
south  of  the  Rio  Grande,  General  Antonio  Lo- 
pez de  Santa  Anna,  had  so  completely  subdued 
the  several  factions  opposed  to  his  supremacy 
that  he  deemed  it  safe  for  him  to  lead  an  army 
for  the  recovery  of  the  rebellious  province  at 
the  north. 

144 


A    BAFFLED    PURSUIT.  145 

There  were  those  who  said  that  in  so  doing 
he  ran  a  serious  risk  of  losing  whatever  he 
might  leave  behind  him,  especially  in  case  of  a 
defeat,  but  the  pride  of  the  Mexican  people  had 
been  aroused  and  there  was  a  clamorous  demand 
for  action. 

There  had  all  the  while  been  war,  in  a  scat- 
tering aimless  way,  and  there  had  been  threat- 
ening embassies,  like  that  recently  accomplished 
by  Bravo. 

How  to  invade  Texas,  nevertheless,  was  a 
question  to  puzzle  an  invader.  There  were 
not  many  points  or  places  in  the  vast  area  the 
Americans  were  seizing  that  were  of  military 
value.  An  invading  army  would  but  waste  its 
time  in  inarching  around  or  in  camping  on  the 
prairies.  It  must  find  a  Texan  army  and  defeat 
it  or  go  home  useless. 

One  of  the  few  points  of  importance,  in 
most  men's  opinion,  was  the  Alamo  fort,  but 
it  was  really  little  more  than  a  convenient 
rallying-place.  Apart  from  that,  a  scientific 
general  would  have  said  that  it  was  nothing 
but  a  piece  of  ground  which  had  been  walled 
in.  It  was  worth  blockading,  perhajDS,  but  it 
was  not  worth  a  hard  fight. 

10 


146      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

The  Texans  themselves  did  not  think  so,  nor 
did  the  Mexicans.  To  the  Texans  it  had  a 
certain  value  as  a  stronghold,  and  they  took 
much  pride  in  it  on  that  account.  The  Mexi- 
can generals  were  possessed  with  an  idea  that 
it  was  Texas  itself  and  that  it  would  be  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  take  it. 

General  Houston,  making  a  careful  inspec- 
tion of  the  fort  and  its  surroundings  the  morn- 
ing after  his  arrival,  was  deeply  impressed  both 
with  its  importance  and  its  weakness. 

"Boys,"  he  said,  "if  this  place  had  rations 
enough  and  powder  enough  in  it  you  and 
Travis  could  hold  it  all  the  year  'round." 

"  Jesso,  gineral,"  responded  a  ranger;  "but 
if  they  fetched  big  guns,  they  could  knock  them 
walls  to  flinders." 

The  walls  looked  very  strong,  and  his  com- 
rades disagreed  with  him,  but  Houston  shook 
his  head  and  walked  to  the  eighteen-pounder 
in  the  middle  of  what  some  of  them  called  the 
"plaza." 

"  This  would  do,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  but 
Santa  Anna  won't  drag  in  any  guns  like  this 
as  far  as  the  Alamo.  He  can't  take  this  fort 
with  nothing  but  ranchero  lancers  and  field- 


A    BAFFLED    PURSUIT.  147 

guns.  I  must  get  some  money  somehow  and 
put  things  in  order,  but  where  I'm  to  get  it  I 
don't  know." 

He  went  in  then  to  eat  his  breakfast,  and  not 
long  afterwards  was  riding  away,  with  a  suffi- 
cient escort  to  protect  him  from  being  murdered 
before  he  could  get  out  of  the  town  of  San 
Antonio  de  Bexar. 

In  the  dawn  of  that  very  morning  a  cloud 
of  wild  horsemen  had  gathered  upon  the  open 
prairie  between  the  sink-hole  and  the  grove 
where  the  little  party  of  Colonel  Bowie  was 
believed  to  be  still  encamped.  That  from  it 
came  no  sign  of  life  was  of  no  importance 
whatever  to  warriors  who  knew  how  perfectly 
the  rangers  were  skilled  in  all  the  cunning  of 
bush  and  forest  fighting. 

A  mist  had  covered  the  rolls  and  the  hol- 
lows, but  the  smoke  of  the  camp-fire  could  be 
seen.  Once  a  log  fell,  sending  up  a  shower  of 
sparks,  and  Great  Bear  himself  remarked  that 
Big  Knife's  men  were  putting  on  more  wood. 
He  now  had  with  him  the  greater  part  of  his 
force,  but  every  pony  was  tired,  and  some  of 
them  had  given  out  entirely. 

There  was  no  special  reason  for  haste,  except- 


148      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

ing  the  water  of  the  spring  for  men  and  beasts. 
Perhaps  the  better  way  would  be  to  obtain  a 
parley  and  induce  the  Texans  to  come  out  of 
their  ambush  before  slaughtering  them.  A 
little  cunning  might  accomplish  that,  and  so 
the  Comanches  waited. 

Of  course,  the  grove  was  surrounded  to  pre- 
vent any  sudden  dash  for  escape,  but  shortly 
after  the  rising  sun  began  his  work  upon  the 
mist  the  encircling  force  moved  slowly  nearer. 
The  main  body  moved  together  until  they 
were  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  outer 
shrubbery.  Then  they  halted,  and  a  single 
brave,  a  chief  of  rank,  dismounted  and  went 
forward  on  foot,  holding  out  his  right  hand 
with  the  palm  up,  in  token  of  a  wish  for  truce 
and  conference. 

The  eyes  of  his  band  were  upon  the  messen- 
ger and  he  walked  steadily,  although  all  the 
while  believing  himself  to  be  covered  by  the 
unerring  aim  of  Texan  sharp-shooters.  His 
nerves  were  very  good.  No  sooner,  however, 
did  he  reach  the  trees  than  Great  Bear  and  his 
column  moved  forward  again. 

On  strode  the  solitary  herald  of  peace,  or  of 
treachery,  but   no   rifle   cracked,  no  mustang 


A    BAFFLED    PUESUIT.  149 

neighed,  no  Texan  came  out  of  a  bush.  It 
was  the  strangest  affair,  to  the  mind  of  a  man 
who  was  absolutely  sure  that  his  enemies  were 
there. 

On  he  marched  until  he  stood  by  the  fire  at 
the  spring,  and  glanced  fiercely  around  him. 
It  was  too  much !  His  hand  went  to  his 
mouth,  and  he  uttered  a  whoop  which  brought 
every  Comanche  within  hearing  pell-mell  to- 
ward the  grove. 

Such  a  rush  would  have  been  their  best  chance 
for  crushing  Bowie's  men  in  any  case,  but  the 
charging  warriors  found  no  Texans  to  crush. 
Wild  were  the  whoops  of  wrath  and  disap- 
pointment, but  Great  Bear  himself  was  equal 
to  the  occasion.  His  face  expressed  strong 
admiration  of  such  a  feat  of  generalship,  and 
he  said,  loudly, — 

"Ugh!  Big  Knife  great  chief!  Getaway 
heap !  Comanche  tired  now.  Find  Texan 
by  and  by." 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  The  only  thing 
to  do  was  to  rest  and  to  eat,  fur  immediate  pur- 
suit was  out  of  the  question. 

Miles  and  miles  away,  an  hour  or  so  later,  in 
another  camping  place  as  good  as  the  one  they 


150      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF   THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

had  left,  the  white  riflemen  also  were  taking  it 
easy.  They  had  plenty  of  buffalo  cutlets  to 
broil ;  they  had  distanced  their  pursuers,  and 
they  were  contented. 

"  Boys,"  remarked  Colonel  Bowie,  "  we've 
gained  a  whole  day's  ride  on  'em  if  we  work 
it  right." 

"All  right,  colonel,"  responded  Joe;  "  but 
when  that  young  Lipan  rid  in  last  night  I 
begun  to  wish  1  was  back  in  the  Alamo.  My 
skelp  felt  loose." 

"He's  a  buster,"  remarked  Jim  Cheyne ; 
"but  I'm  right  down  glad  his  dad  is  here. 
Best  guide  we  could  git." 

As  for  Red  Wolf  himself,  he  was  sitting 
apart  from  the  rest.  After  all,  he  was  only  a 
boy  and  all  these  others  were  distinguished 
warriors. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  CHARGE  OF  THE  LANCERS. 

DAYS  that  go  by  with  nothing  in  them  but 
steady  riding,  buffalo-killing,  and  undis- 
turbed camps  at  the  end  of  each  day  may  be 
very  pleasant  but  they  are  not  exciting.  As 
Colonel  Bowie  remarked  to  his  men,  how- 
ever,— 

"  A  squad  like  ours,  mounted  as  we  are,  can 
get  ahead  faster  than  a  big  band  like  Great 
Bear's.  They'll  send  scouting-parties  ahead, 
but  we  can  keep  out  of  their  way.  We're 
making  first-rate  time." 

So  they  were,  and  they  were  also  carefully 
keeping  their  horses  in  good  condition  for  any 
required  run.  They  carried  no  baggage,  and 
they  had  now,  they  thought,  a  long  "  start" 
ahead  of  their  Comanche  pursuers. 

The  most  silent  rider  among  them,  not  ex- 
cepting Castro  himself,  was  Red  Wolf,  and  it 
was  not  altogether  because  he  was  a  boy.  The 
fact  was  that  he   had   been    seeing  and  hear- 

151 


152       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

ing  a  great  deal,  and  that  lie  was  full  to 
bursting  with  the  spirit  of  adventure  which  all 
the  while  spoke  out  in  the  talk  of  the  Texans. 
They  told  wild  stories  of  old  war-paths ;  of 
fights  of  every  kind,  and  of  visits  to  cities  and 
towns  of  the  white  men.  They  talked,  too, 
about  gold  and  silver  and  what  could  be  done 
with  money,  so  that  the  young  Lipan  grew 
more  and  more  interested  in  an  idea  he  never 
had  before, — the  idea  of  riches.  It  did  nol 
yet  take  complete  shape  in  his  mind,  except- 
ing in  one  form,  given  by  Big  Knife,  the  hero. 
It  was  what  he  said  about  the  great  gun  in 
the  plaza  of  the  Alamo,  and  the  money  it 
would  cost  to  kill  Mexicans  with  that  ;in<l  the 
other  cannon.  The  "heap  guns"  themselves 
had  cost  a  great  deal  of  money.  In  that  shape, 
or  even  in  the  shape  of  rifles  or  horses,  Red 
Wolf  could  now  understand  it  fairly  well.  He 
thought  of  the  bags  in  the  hole  in  the  adobe 
wall,  but  these,  he  believed,  belonged  to  Big 
Knife  and  the  Texans.  They  could  not  be  the 
property  of  a  Lipan  boy,  and  he  never  thought 
of  such  a  thing  for  a  moment.  Very  vaguely, 
moreover,  he  had  gathered  that  this  present 
war-party  expected  to  find  gold  and  silver  and 


THE    CHARGE    OF    THE    LANCERS.  153 

to  bring  it  back  with  them,  after  killing  en- 
emies and  winning  glory  in  fights. 

It  was  all  new  and  it  was  all  wonderful,  but 
there  was  no  use  in  talking  about  it,  so  he  kept 
still  and  was  inclined  to  ride  ahead,  or  else  to 
linger  some  distance  behind  his  party. 

As  yet  there  had  been  no  sign  of  any  pur- 
suers near  them,  but  toward  the  close  of  one 
long,  bright  day  Red  Wolf  had  fallen  so  far 
behind  that  he  was  almost  out  of  sight  of  his 
pale-face  friends. 

The  swift  mustang  under  him  was  in  fine 
condition.  So  very  well  did  he  feel  that  he 
was  restive,  and  a  deer  that  sprang  out  of  a 
covert  of  hazel-bushes  as  he  was  going  by  made 
him  jump  and  throw  up  his  heels.  Not  that 
he  was  at  all  afraid  of  a  deer,  but  that  it  was 
curious,  perhaps,  to  find  himself  carrying  a 
hunter  who  would  not  so  much  as  send  an  ar- 
row after  such  capital  game. 

"  Ugh !"  exclaimed  Red  Wolf,  and  it  came 
out  sharply,  from  utter  surprise. 

In  his  sudden  prancing  his  pony  had 
wheeled  around,  and  there,  coming  over  a  rise 
of  ground  not  two  hundred  yards  away,  rode 
three  Comanches.     The  instant  they  were  dis- 


154       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

covered  they  uttered  fierce  whoops  and  dashed 
forward. 

"  Wh-oo-p!"  yelled  the  young  Lipan,  lashing 
his  too  spirited  pony  to  a  run.  "Comanche 
dog!     Red  Wolf!" 

There  was  no  more  to  be  said  just  then,  how- 
ever. The  warm  wind  from  the  south  seemed 
to  whistle  past  him.  Far  to  the  right  and  far 
to  the  left  yet  other  war-whoops  were  sounding. 
Not  the  whole  band  of  Great  Bear,  he  thought, 
but  a  sufficient  number  of  their  best  mounted 
braves  to  make  trouble  for  Bowie  and  his  men. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  mistaking  a 
war-whoop  for  any  other  sound,  and  now  Red 
Wolf  exclaimed  "  Ugh  !"  again  in  still  greater 
astonishment.  He  knew  that  there  was  no 
bugle  among  the  Texans  with  Big  Knife,  but 
he  had  heard  the  sound  of  one  at  the  fort 
and  afterwards.  "  Heap  whistle"  would  have 
been  a  good  translation  of  his  Lipan  word  for 
bugle  music,  and  he  uttered  it  loudly.  It  came 
from  the  left,  and  it  was  faint  at  first,  but 
in  a  few  moments  it  was  repeated  more  so- 
norously, and  he  wheeled  his  mustang  in  that 
direction. 

At  that  very  moment  Castro  himself,  riding 


THE    CHARGE    OF    THE    LANCERS.  155 

at  the  head  of  the  squad,  lifted  his  left  hand 

as  if  pointing  and  exclaimed, — 

"  Ugh  !     Big  Knife  hear  !     Mexicans  !" 

"  It's  a  cavalry  bugle,  colonel !"  shouted  Jim 

Cheyne.     "  I    can    ketch    it.      Thar    it    comes 

ao-'iu " 

o 

"  Wheel  to  the  right !  Gallop  !"  replied 
Bowie.  "  It's  Bravo's  lancers.  They  are  this 
side  of  the  Bio  !  Now,  buys,  the  chief  was 
just  saying  we  were  only  a  half-hour's  ride 
from  the  hacienda.     His  Lipans  are  there." 

Were  they  ?  It  is  nut  always  that  a  man 
can  give  the  whereabouts  of  other  men  from 
whom  he  has  been  several  days  absent.  A  ride 
of  half  an  hour  is  also  to  be  measured  by  the 
speed  of  a  horse,  rather  than  by  feet  and  inches. 
Very  near  them,  therefore,  if  the  distance  were 
that  of  a  swift  horse  on  a  run,  a  mule  and  his 
rider  had  halted  on  the  northerly  bank  of  a 
broad  and  very  muddy  river. 

Directly  across  the  river,  on  a  low  bluff  of 
seemingly  bare,  sandy  ground,  there  was  a  long 
range  of  low-built  houses,  part  of  them  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall.  They  were  altogether  like 
a  vast  number  of  other  Mexican-Spanish  haci- 
endas, or  head-quarters  of  important  country 


156      THE   LOST   GOLD   OF    THE   MONTEZUMAS. 

estates.  If  this,  however,  were  the  Hacienda 
Dolores,  and  if  Castro's  Lipans  were  there, 
they  had  raised  over  the  largest  of  the  adobe 
structures  the  eagle  flag  of  Mexico.  They  had 
stationed  uniformed  sentinels  here  and  there, 
and  they  had  picketed  horses,  with  Baddies 
and  military  trappings,  in  lung  rows  near  at 
hand. 

"  Tetzcatl  counts  more  than  four  hundred," 
said  the  man  on  the  mule.  "The  Lipans  are 
safe,  but  the  .Mexicans  must  not  catch  Bowie." 

He  spoke  in  Spanish  and  his  voice  was  quiet 
enough,  but  his  face  was  all  one  quiver  of  rage 
and  hate  as  he  stared  across  the  river.  What 
if  his  entire  plan  was  to  be  broken  up  and  his 
red  and  white  allies  destroyed  by  this  unex- 
pected activity  of  his  Mexican  enemies?  It 
was,  moreover,  a  dangerous  place  of  waiting 
for  a  solitary  old  man,  to  whom  no  quarter 
would  be  given  if  he  were  found  there  by  Mex- 
ican soldiers. 

"Too  long!  Too  long!"  he  exclaimed. 
"  They  ought  to  be  here.     It  is  time  !" 

At  that  moment  the  mule  under  him 
stretched  his  neck  and  head  to  send  forth  a 
loud   and   seemingly   uncalled-for   bray.     He 


THE    CHARGE    OF    THE    LANCERS.  157 

had  an  abundance  of  ears,  but  what  could  he 
have  heard  ?  His  white-headed  master  at  first 
heard  nothing  at  all,  but  then  he  drove  his 
spurs  into  the  sides  of  his  trumpeting  beast  in  a 
way  that  cut  off  braying. 

"  Bowie  !"  he  shouted.  "  Running.  He  is 
trapped  by  Bravo's  men  !" 

There,  indeed,  racing  as  if  for  life,  were  the 
six  Texans  and  Castro,  but  where  was  their 
young  Lipan  scout,  and  what  was  he  doing  ? 

Castro  was  asking  that  question,  and  so  was 
the  colonel,  only  the  moment  before,  but  now 
they  pulled  in  their  horses  to  look  across  the 
river,  in  blank  dismay,  at  the  flag  over  the 
hacienda. 

"  They've  got  us  this  time,  colonel !"  roared 
a  broad-chested  ranger.  "  Our  call  has  come. 
Let's  die  game !" 

"  You  bet  we  will,"  said  Joe,  "  but  we  ain't 
dead  yit.  Something's  a-goin'  on  away  back 
yonder.    I  heard  an  Injin  yell  sure's  you  live." 

If  he  and  his  friends  had  not  been  running 
away  so  fast  they  might  have  heard  a  number 
of  Indians  yell. 

Red  Wolf  had  ridden  toward  the  bugle,  not 
away   from    it.     Hardly   three    minutes  of  so 


158   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

swift  a  run  had  been  required  to  bring  him 
out  in  full  view  of  a  strong  party  of  mounted 
men  in  the  brilliant  uniform  of  the  Mexican 
regular  lancers.  It  was  just  as  they  obeyed 
the  musical  order  to  go  forward  at  a  charging 
gait,  They  were  splendid  horsemen  and  they 
moved  together  in  perfect  array,  bu1  it  was  not 
to  make  a  dash  upon  one  Indian  boy.  They 
had  some  reasons  for  expecting  an  encounter 
with  the  band  of  Lipans  which  had  quartered, 
during  several  days,  in  and  around  the  deserted 
hacienda.  Here  these  were  now,  they  thought, 
apparently  ready  to  be  pounced  upon  and 
overwhelmed,  but  this  nearest  brave  upon  the 
mustang  showed  no  sign  of  hostility.  On  the 
contrary,  he  pulled  in,  almost  halted,  and  waved 
his  hand  to  them  before  pointing  back,  as  if  he 
would  say, — 

"Your  enemies  and  mine  are  there.  Be 
readv  for  them." 

Swift  orders  rang  along  the  charging  column, 
but  the  solitary  Indian  wheeled  out  of  their 
way,  still  making  friendly  signs,  while  over 
the  swells  of  the  prairie  came  the  wild  riders 
of  whom  he  was  evidently  telling. 

To  him  no  more  attention  could  be  given 


THE    CHARGE    OF    THE    LANCERS.  159 

just  then,  for  there  were  more  Comanches 
arriving  than  Bowie  had  believed  at  all  likely. 
They  had  travelled  faster  and  in  better  condi- 
tion than  he  had  calculated,  and  fully  a  third 
of  Great  Bear's  warriors  were  within  reaching 
distance. 

It  was  a  tremendous  surprise  all  around. 
The  fast-gathering  braves  had  expected  to  close 
in  upon  a  mere  handful  of  tired-out  Texans. 
The  lancers  had  counted  upon  a  brush  with 
a  small  war-party  of  Lipans.  Here  the  two 
forces  were,  however,  face  to  face,  altogether 
too  near  to  escape  a  collision,  unless  one  side  or 
both  should  lose  courage  and  run  away. 

Red  Wolf  had  lashed  his  mustang  to  its 
best  speed  in  wheeling  from  between  the  com- 
batants, and  he  barely  succeeded,  for  the  Co- 
manches were  careering  in  various  directions. 
It  was  not  their  custom  to  charge  in  close 
column. 

"  Ugh  !"  said  the  boy  warrior.  "  Heap  fool 
Comanche.     See  Great  Bear." 

The  great  war-chief  was  indeed  among  his 
men,  as  cool  as  ever  in  spite  of  the  surprise. 
He  had  his  best  braves  with  him,  and  they 
greatly  outnumbered  the  Mexicans.     The  lat- 


160   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

ter,  indeed,  rather  than  the  red  men,  had 
stumbled  into  a  bad  place.  They  were  brave 
enough,  but  the  Comanches  have  been  called 
by  army  officers  "  the  best  light  cavalry  in  the 
world."  Not  one  of  them  turned  to  follow 
Red  Wolf  any  farther,  and  he  did  not  wait  to 
be  followed.  He  looked  behind  him  only  to 
catch  a  fleeting  view  of  a  terribly  confused 
skirmish.  Both  sides  carried  lances.  At  close 
quarters,  the  bows  and  arrows  of  the  red  men 
were  even  better  weapons  than  were  such  fire- 
arms as  were  carried  by  the  cavalry.  It  cer- 
tainly took  less  time  to  load  a  bow-string  than 
it  did  to  put  a  charge  into  a  horse-pistol  or  a 
carbine. 

The  Mexicans  were  fighting  well,  Red  Wolf 
could  take  note  of  that.  What  he  did  not  see 
was  the  fact  that  they  were  going  down  very 
fast  and  that  more  Comanches  were  arriving. 
The  one  idea  in  his  mind  was  to  overtake  his 
friends. 

The  river  !  The  great,  muddy  Rio  Grande  ! 
Here  it  was,  with  not  a  sign  of  Colonel  Bowie's 
party  upon  its  desolate  bank. 

Red  Wolf  halted  in  something  like  dismay, 
but  it  was  no  time  for  hesitation.     His  friends 


THE    CHARGE    OF    THE    LANCERS.  161 

could  not  have  gone  down  southward.  Their 
errand  would  lead  them  up  the  river.  He  must 
hunt  for  them  in  that  direction.  Whether  he 
should  ever  reach  them  or  not  was  a  difficult 
question,  as  his  first  glance  across  the  river 
told  him.  It  was  not  so  much  the  flag  on  the 
hacienda.  He  was  not  afraid  of  a  flag.  But 
the  river  was  shallow  and  fordable  at  this  point, 
and  a  party  of  lancers  had  already  made  its 
way  well  out  from  the  farther  shore.  They,  as 
well  as  he,  could  hear  the  rattling  reports  and 
the  fierce  whooping  from  the  battle  that  was 
going  on,  and  they  were  making  as  much  haste 
as  the  muddy  bottom  permitted.  They  uttered 
loud  shouts  when  they  caught  sight  of  the  one 
"  brave"  on  the  bank,  and  they  fired  shot  after 
shot  at  him,  but  he  was  out  of  range  of  the 
short,  smooth-bore  carbines  they  were  firing. 
He  answered  them  with  a  yell  of  derision  and 
rode  on. 

"Ugh!"  he  said.  "Heap  Mexican!  All 
lose  hair.     Great  Bear  come." 

Even  a  Lipan  boy  could  feel  more  exultation 
than  anything  else  over  the  idea  that  one  en- 
emy of  his  tribe  was  doing  much  harm  to  an- 
other.    As  an  Indian,  moreover,  he  could  be 

11 


162   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

proud  of  the  prowess  of  a  chief  like  Great 
Bear,  almost  as  great  a  man,  in  his  estimation, 
as  Big  Knife  or  as  ( lastro. 

It  was  a  hot  skirmish,  but  it  was  a  short  one. 
Half  the  Lancers  were  down,  but  their  charge 
had  carried  them  through  the  unsteady  swarm 
of  their  enemies.  All  that  were  lefl  were  keep- 
ing well  together  and  were  galloping  toward 
the  river,  followed  by  flights  of  arrows.  They 
would  have  been  more  closely  followed  by  wild 
horsemen  but  for  the  fact  that  the  Comanche 
ponies  were  at  the  end  of  a  long,  tiresome 
"  push/'  while  the  animals  of  the  cavalry  were 
fresh.  There  was  no  Buch  thing  as  catching 
up  with  them,  and  they  reached  the  bank  just 
as  their  comrades  from  the  opposite  Bhore  were 
wading  out. 

There  were  loud  shouts  of  explanation. 
There  were  signals  to  and  from  the  hacienda, 
but  all  that  could  be  done  was  to  recross  the 
river.  After  all,  Red  Wolf  had  not  won  any 
glory,  but  his  enemies  had  once  more  suffered 
severely  in  trying  to  get  hold  of  him. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AND    THE    STAMPEDE. 

"  T30YS,"  said  Colonel  Bowie,  sitting  upon 

-■-^  his  panting  horse  and  looking  back 
down  the  river,  "  they  saw  us.  I  don't  think 
we  could  make  another  run.     Dismount !" 

They  were  barely  a  mile  and  a  half  above 
the  point  where  they  had  struck  the  Rio 
Grande,  but  it  was  time  to  give  their  horses  a 
rest  and  to  consider  the  situation.  They  had 
halted  on  the  brow  of  a  bluff,  and  they  were 
looking  in  all  directions.  Not  a  man  of  them 
could  guess  from  what  quarter  their  next  dis- 
aster might  come. 

"  Big  Knife  wait,"  replied  the  Lipan  chief. 
"  Castro  go  back  for  Red  Wolf." 

"  Guess  not !"  exclaimed  Jim  Cheyne. 
"  Colonel,  if  thar  isn't  that  thar  old  cuss  Tetz- 
catl  on  his  mule." 

Here  he  came,  plodding  along  as  calmly  as 
ever,  but  there  was  very  little  news  that  he 
could  tell  them.     He  could  not  even  explain 

163 


164       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

the  presence  of  General  Bravo's  regiment  of 
lancers. 

"The  general  said,  at  the  Alamo,  that  lie 
was  going  after  the  Apaches,"  n  marked  the 
colonel,  "  but  here  he  is." 

"  Whoop!"  rang  out  from  the  lower  ground 
easterly.     "  Who-o-o-oop !" 

"Red  Wolf!"  exclaimed  Castro.  "Boy  no 
lose  hair  !     Ugh  !     Ilea],  young  brave  !" 

On  he  came,  and  there  was  no  one  following 
him.  How  could  he  have  escaped?  He  tried 
to  tell  how  when  he  reached  them,  but  before 
he  had  finished  his  story  of  the  ( bmanches  and 
the  lancers  Tetzcatl  turned  his  mule  toward  the 
river. 

" Bueno /"  he  said.  "We  can  cross  here. 
The  lancers  are  busy.  Bo  arc  the  Comanches. 
The  Lipans  are  on  the  other  side  and  we  can 
find  them.     Come !" 

"  All  right  !"  shouted  Bowie.  "  Forward  ! 
Boys,  Great  Bear  is  our  best  hold  just  now. 
He  got  in  just  in  the  nick  of  time." 

The  chief  himself  had  not  said  so,  nor  had 
the  beaten  lancers.  Both  sides  of  that  fight 
had  been  severely  surprised. 

It  seemed  to  the  Comanches  that  their  long 


THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AXD    THE    STAMPEDE.    165 

chase  had  reached  a  stopping-place,  and  what 
to  do  next  they  could  not  say,  except  to  rest 
their  horses.  As  for  the  lancers,  what  was  left 
of  the  fighting  party  was  now  safe  at  the 
hacienda. 

The  Texans  had  no  choice  but  to  follow  their 
white-headed  guide.  Xot  one  of  them  heard 
him  say,  as  his  mule  waded  into  the  river, — 

"  But  no  !  The  Comanches  got  them.  It  is  a 
great  satisfaction.  I  will  take  the  Texans  into 
the  mountains  and  give  them  to  Huitzilopochtli. 
They  shall  go  down  to  him  when  he  calls  for 
them.     The  s;ods  are  hungry-" 

There  had,  indeed,  been  vast  changes  in  the 
manner  and  amount  of  worship  paid  them  since 
the  Ian  din  2:  of  Cortez.  There  had  been  a  time 
of  fanatical  devotion  before  that,  when  from 
twenty  thousand  to  fifty  thousand  human  vic- 
tims had  been  sacrificed  annually  to  the  terrible 
divinities  of  the  Mexicans.  The  scattered  rem- 
nants of  the  old,  dark  tribes,  who  still  clung  to 
their  heathenish  faith,  misdit  be  as  readv  as 
their  fathers  had  been  to  offer  sacrifices,  but  the 
offerings  were  not  so  easily  to  be  provided. 

"  The  days  have  been  too  many,"  grumbled 
Tetzcatl,   "  in   which   not   one    Spaniard  stood 


166      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

before  the  altar.  We  have  had  to  give  them 
mission  men,  women,  children.  They  shall 
have  six  white  men  from  the  North." 

Those  Mexican  Indians  who,  from  time  to 
time,  had  nominally  accepted  the  religion 
brought  to  them  by  the  missionaries  of  the 
Church  of  Rome  were  not  to  be  classed  as 
Spaniards  exactly,  but  they  would  answer  as 
less  valuable  substitutes.  Perhaps  they  were 
really  as  available  for  sacrificial  purposes  as  had 
been  the  yearly  prisoners  of  war,  entirely  un- 
converted heathen,  wh<>  had  been  slaughtered 
at  the  teocallis,  or  idol  temples,  before  any 
Spaniards  were  to  be  had. 

Altogether  ignorant  of  the  religious  fate 
intended  for  them,  the  Texans  gained  the 
southerly  bank  of  the  river,  but  their  guide 
did  not  pause  there.  He  spurred  his  mule, 
waved  his  hand  to  them,  and  pushed  onward. 
He  was  upon  ground  that  he  knew,  and  their 
weary  day's  journey  ended  in  a  dense  forest, 
where  they  could  believe  themselves  safe,  for 
the  time,  from  their  enemies. 

"Night  come,"  said  Castro  to  his  son. 
"Eed  Wolf  go  see  Mexicans.  No  take 
horse." 


THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AND    THE    STAMPEDE.    167 

"  Ugh  !"  replied  the  young  warrior.  "  Find 
lancers.  See  hacienda.  Where  great  chief 
go?" 

"  Castro  find  Comanches,"  replied  his  father. 
"  Big  Knife  keep  camp.  Tetzcatl  hunt  Lipans. 
Texan  sleep." 

It  was  a  time  for  vigorous  scouting,  but  the 
condition  of  the  horses  required  that  the  scouts 
should  use  their  own  legs.  No  one  went  out  at 
once,  however.  After  a  hearty  supper  they 
all  lay  down  for  a  while.  All  but  Tetzcatl. 
Nobody  could  say  just  at  what  moment  the  old 
Tlascalan  disappeared,  leaving  his  mule  behind 
him. 

"  Boys,"  remarked  Joe,  "  we're  all  here  and 
we  ain't  corked  up,  but  thar  isn't  a  blamed 
thing  we  can  do.  It's  been  a  pretty  tough  kind 
of  spree  far  as  we've  gone." 

"Wall,  ye-es,"  drawled  Jim  Cheyne,  "and 
thar's  no  tellin'  what  '11  turn  up  next." 

"Jesso,"  came  from  another  ranger,  "  and 
we  needn't  crow  loud.  Thar  wouldn't  ha'  been 
a  head  o'  ha'r  left  among  us  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  that  cub  o'  Castro's  ;  he's  a  buster." 

"  So's  his  dad,"  remarked  Jim ;  "  but  whar 
are  they  now  ?" 


168   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

He  was  looking,  as  he  spoke,  at  the  spot 
where  he  had  seen  them  spread  their  blankets. 
Those  were  there,  but  neither  a  young  Lipan 
nor  an  old  one. 

"  They  ain't  in  this  camp,"  said  Joe,  after  a 
wider  search.     "  Gone  visitin'  ?" 

They  had  not  gone  together.  A  very  little 
later  the  chief  was  wading  into  tin*  river  at  a 
place  somewhat  below  where  Tetzcatl  had  led 
them  across,  and  he  was  alone. 

His  son  was  at  the  same  time  slipping  along 
among  the  bushes  and  tree-  toward  the  Haci- 
enda Dolores.  He  was  making  rapid  head- 
way, and  his  bright,  black  eyes  were  dancing 
with  excitement.  Fatigue  was  a  thing  he 
seemed  to  know  little  about.  Probably  it  had 
rested  him  to  sit  down  long  enough  to  eat  his 
supper. 

The  old  hacienda  had  a  number  of  lights 
burning  in  it  that  night,  and  there  were  camp- 
fires  kindled  here  and  there  outside  of  the  wall 
for  the  lancers.  There  were  a  fewT  tents,  but 
the  greater  part  of  the  force  was  compelled  to 
bivouac  upon  its  blankets.  The  Comanches 
were  known  not  to  have  crossed  the  Rio  Grande, 
and  there  was  no  fear  of  a  night  attack,  so  that 


THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AND    THE    STAMPEDE.    169 

only  the  ordinary  sentries  and  patrols  had  been 
posted.  The  most  important  of  these  were 
in  charge  of  the  "corral,"  where  the  cavalry 
horses  were  picketed,  and  with  them  a  large 
drove  of  half-trained  mustangs  which  had  been 
gathered  to  fill  the  places  of  such  animals  as 
were  from  time  to  time  used  up  by  reckless 
riders.  The  rancheros  are  horsemen,  but 
they  are  almost  horse-killers  in  their  merciless 
spurring. 

"  Heap  pony  !"  said  Red  Wolf  to  himself, 
when  at  last  he  was  able  to  crawl  along  the 
ground,  within  watching  distance  of  the  corral. 
"  Mexican  bad  eye.  Lose  pony.  Great  Bear 
send  brave.      Ugh !" 

An  indistinct  shadow  was  moving  along  not 
many  yards  from  him.  Another  lay  very  still 
a  little  farther  off,  but  this  latter  shadow  was 
the  body  of  the  sentry  who  had  gone  to  sleep 
on  his  post.  There  was  no  one  there  now  but 
Red  Wolf  to  note  the  passage  of  several  more 
shadows,  not  in  uniform.  He  crept  a  little  far- 
ther and  lay  still  in  a  hollow.  He  hardly 
breathed,  for  it  was  equally  dangerous  to  retreat 
or  to  go  forward. 

"  Lie  down  heap,"  he  thought.     "  See  wThat 


170       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

come.      Ugli !     Comanche  bring  liorse.       Pin 
pony.     Go  back  for  more." 

That  was  precisely  what  had  been  done  by 
the  daring  and  expert  red  horse-thieves.  They 
were  unsurpassed  in  that  line  of  business,  and 
they  had  made  their  selections  with  care.  Only 
the  best  of  the  animals  tethered  near  that  point 
by  the  lancers  had  beeu  selected  for  removal. 

Nevertheless,  the  red  men  were  few.  They 
could  not  spare  a  sentry.  They  did  but  secure 
their  first  string  of  prizes  by  lariats  and  pins 
before  they  went  in  for  another  lot. 

"Big  Knife  want  horse."  remarked  the 
young  Lipau  to  himself.  li  Red  Wolf  take. 
Comanche  lose  pony." 

It  was  short  creeping,  and  then  the  pins  were 
out  and  the  string  of  stolen  quadrupeds  was 
once  more  in  motion.  Their  feet  hardly  made 
a  sound  upon  the  sand  as  they  went.  They 
were  led  on  to  the  shelter  of  some  bushes, 
and  there  Red  Wolf  left  them  that  he  might 
once  more  snake  his  way  back  to  his  peril- 
ous post  of  observation.  It  seemed  like  going 
to  almost  certain  death,  but  he  worked  his 
stealthy  way  along  until  he  could  see  a  tall 
warrior,  leading  several  ponies,  come  to  a  sud- 


THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AXD    THE    STAMPEDE.    171 

den  halt  at  the  place  where  the  first  captures 
had  been  left. 

"  Ugh  !"  exclaimed  the  warrior.  "  Heap 
pony  gone.  More  braves  come  take  'em. 
Good.     Take  more  pony." 

He  believed,  therefore,  that  his  own  tribes- 
men had  been  there,  but  at  that  moment  a 
shrill  "  \Yho-o-o-op"  sounded  from  the  dark- 
ness near  him.  Almost  unconsciously,  or  from 
the  force  of  habit,  he  replied  to  it  with  his  own 
war-cry.  Following  that  came  a  dozen  more 
from  within  the  corral.  One  after  another,  iu 
quick  succession,  every  Mexican  sentinel  fired 
off  his  musket  in  sudden  alarm.  A  bugler 
caught  up  his  bugle  and  began  to  blow  it 
loudly.  It  was  a  hubbub  of  mingled  sounds, 
but  the  warriors  in  the  corral  sprang  each  upon 
the  back  of  the  nearest  pony  and  plied  his 
whip  savagely  upon  the  frightened  animals 
around  him.  Horses  neighed,  mules  brayed, 
red  men  whooj^ed,  cavalrymen  shouted,  and 
the  net  result  was  a  wild  stampede  of  every 
brute  that  was  loose  or  that  could  break  his 
tether.  Of  course,  they  all  ran  after  the  first 
to  get  away,  and  these  had  struck  out  into  the 
open  country. 


172       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

It  was  no  time  for  Red  Wolf  to  care  what 
became  of  the  drove,  the  hacienda,  or  the 
Comanches.  He  had  retreated  after  sounding 
his  mischievous  whoop,  and  he  was  now  on  the 
back  of  one  of  the  stolen  horses,  with  the  others 
following  patiently  in  a  string  behind  him. 
They  at  least  had  escaped  being  stampeded,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  large  number  of  their  four- 
footed  comrades  were  <>n  their  way  to  the  river 
under  the  care  of  the  successful  warriors'  of 
Great  Bear. 

There  was  no  danger  that  General  Bravo's 
crack  regiment  would  be  in  pursuit  of  anybody 
very  early  the  next  morning. 

The  night  was  indeed  nearly  cone  when  Jim 
Cheyne,  standing  sentry  for  the  Texans,  was 
hailed  from  anion--  the  bushes, — 

"  Red  Welt'!   Want  Big  Knife.   Bring  pony." 

"  Colonel,"  shouted  Jim,  "  here's  that  buster 
boy  again.  He's  been  stealing  ponies  from  the 
Greasers.     He'll  do." 

"  He  will  !"  exclaimed  Bowie,  springing  to 
his  feet  and  coming  forward. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  he  said  it  again,  and 
so  did  they  all  with  emphasis,  but  the  colonel 
added,  o-loomily, — 


THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AND    THE    STAMPEDE.    173 

"  It's  almost  gun-up,  boys.  What  I  want  is  to 
hear  from  Tetzcatl  and  Castro  and  the  Lipans." 

"  Glad  we've  a  lot  of  fresh  mounts,  anyhow," 
said  Joe.  "  What  we  need  most  is  to  be  able 
to  git  away." 

kt  We  will  go  to  the  river-bank  first,"  said 
Bowie.  "  Castro  is  to  meet  ns  there.  Even 
Tetzcatl  believed  the  Lipans  had  gone  across 
the  river." 

"  If  they  did  it's  all  day  with  them,"  replied 
Cheyne,  but  Red  Wolf  did  not  at  all  under- 
stand him.  He  was  just  then,  under  Colonel 
Bowie's  instructions,  selecting  for  his  own  use 
the  very  best  of  the  fine  animals  he  had  so 
daringly  captured  and  brought  to  camp. 

The  camp-fires  were  soon  blazing,  but  little 
time  could  be  given  to  breakfast.  Their  present 
pjosition  was  too  perilous.  Parties  of  lancers 
would  surely  be  out,  and  there  were  too  many 
of  them.  Besides,  there  were  the  Comanches, 
and  no  man  knew  when  or  where  they  might 
make  their  appearance. 

It  was  bright  morning  when  the  little  caval- 
cade, with  its  fine  supply  of  extra  horses,  filed 
out  from  among  the  woods  and  went  slowly 
northward. 


174       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZTJMAS. 

"  I  kind  o'  wish  we  were  all  back  at  the 
Alamo,"  remarked  Joe. 

"  We  won't  go  in  that  direction  jest  yit,"  said 
Jim  Cheyne.  "We'd  better  ride  clean  across 
the  continent.1 ' 

"Halt!"  sprang  from  the  lips  of  Colonel 
Bowie.  "Here  he  comes!  My  God,  boys! 
What's  happened?" 

Not  with  his  usual  swiftly  gliding  step,  but 
staggering  and  panting  as  if  in  pain,  the  old 
Tlascalan  appeared  at  a  little  distance  ahead 
of  them.  He  was  alone,  and  be  motioned  to 
them  to  stay  where  they  were. 

"Find  Comanche,"  suggested  Red  Wolf. 

Bowie  was  silent,  but  when  the  old  man  drew 
near  enough  he  asked, — 

"Did  yon  sight  the  Lipans?" 

"  All  gone  !"  gasped  Tetzcatl. 

"Castro?" 

"  Gone  !"  came  faintly  hack.  "  Great  Bear's 
whole  band.  My  mule  !  We  must  push  on  ! 
They  are  crossing  the  Rio  !" 

Bowie  sprang  to  the  ground  and  strode  for- 
ward. 

"  Man  alive  I"  he  said.  "  Where  are  you 
hurt?     Tell  us  the  rest  of  it  while  I  fix  you 


THE    HOESE-THIEVES    AXD    THE    STAMPEDE.    175 

up.  Jim,  get  that  plaster  and  scissors  out  of 
my  saddle-bags.  We  mustn't  lose  him  just 
now." 

Off  came  the  serape  from  the  old  man's 
shoulders  and  an  awful  gash  was  discovered. 
His  left  arm  told  of  an  arrow,  and  there  was 
a  deep  cut  on  his  head.  He  was  tough  indeed 
to  have  carried  all  x\m^  hurts  with  him  across 
the  Bio  Grande. 

"  I'm  surgeon  enough,"  remarked  the  colonel. 
"  I  don't  believe  he  can  live,  boys,  but  we 
must  do  the  best  we  can.  Put  him  on  his 
mule." 

The  wounds  had  been  dressed  with  much 
care  and  skill,  but  the  wounded  man  had 
hardly  seemed  to  think  of  them.  Briefly  and 
clearly  he  told  of  his  scouting  beyond  the 
river ;  of  a  meeting  with  Castro  and  then  with 
the  party  of  Lipans.  There  had  been  an  at- 
tempt to  rejoin  the  Texans,  but  in  making  it 
the  entire  force  of  Great  Bear,  called  out  by 
the  return  of  the  horse-thieves  from  the  haci- 
enda, had  suddenly  swarmed  around  them. 
Tetzcatl  had  escaped  mainly  because  he  was 
on  foot,  but  a  lance-thrust  in  the  dark  and  the 
arrows  that  fell  like  snow  had  done  their  work 


176   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

upon  him.  Here  he  was  now,  to  Bay  as  persist- 
ently as  ever, — 

"Gold!     The  treasure  of  Montezuma." 

"What  do  we  care  for  gold  jusl  now?" 
grumbled  Jim  Cheyne.  "  I'm  thinkin'  of  the 
ha'r  on  my  head." 

Tetzeatl  raised  his  uninjured  arm,  as  he 
sat  upon  his  mule,  and  pointed  toward  the 
hacienda. 

"Bravo's  lancers,"  he  Baid,  "sweeping  the 
whole  country." 

"  Fact !"  said  Jim,  but  Tetzeatl  now  pointed 
northward. 

"Great  Bear  and  his  Comanches  all  the  way 
to  the  Alamo." 

"That's  about  so,"  came  from  one  of  the 
rangers.     "  We  can't  git  through  'em." 

Once  more  Tetzeatl  turned,  and  now  he 
pointed  westward. 

"Apaches!"  he  said.  "  Bowie  must  come 
with  me.  A  few  days'  ride.  Then  he  will 
come  back  with  his  ponies  loaded." 

He  spoke  with  some  difficulty,  and  at  the 
end  of  his  very  pointed  remarks  he  spurred  his 
mule,  as  if  he  were  going  his  own  way  whether 
or  not  the  Texans  were  to  follow. 


THE    HORSE-THIEVES    AND    THE    STAMPEDE.    177 

"  Boys,"  said  Bowie,  "  what  do  you  say  ?" 

"  Thar  isn't  a  word  to  say,"  growled  Joe. 
"We've  jest  got  to  git.  Come  on,  fellers. 
This  crowd's  travelling  gold  or  no  gold." 

"  The  coast  '11  be  clear  by  the  time  we  want 
to  come  back,"  said  the  colonel.  "  \Ye  shall 
hardly  meet  an  enemy  going  or  coming." 

So  they  turned  and  rode  on  after  the  old 
Tlascalan.  Behind  them  quietly  followed  the 
Lipan  boy.  His  young  face  was  clouded  with 
sorrow,  but  the  only  words  that  escaped  him 
were, — 

"  Castro !  Great  chief  of  the  Lipans ! 
Gone  !     lied  Wolf  will  strike  the  Comanches  !" 


12 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL. 

A  WEEK  had  gone  by  and  a  little  caval- 
cade rode  -lowly  od  along  a  fairly  well 
marked  forest  road.  In  front  was  a  man  on  a 
fine-looking  horse,  but  at  his  side  a  mule  was 
carrying  a  rider  who  almost  lay  down,  with  his 
arms  around  the  animal's  nock. 

"Can  you  stand  it  to  gel  there?"  asked  the 
man  on  the  horse. 

"Bowie,  yon  are  in  the  valley  now,"  was  the 
faint-voiced  response.  "  Hide  on,Tetzcatl  can- 
not die  but  in  the  house  of  Huitzilopochtli." 

"Pretty  nigh  gone,  old  chap?"  was  the  not 
unkindly  inquiry  from  the  next  horseman  be- 
hind them.  "  We'll  git  you  thar.  You  may 
pull  through.  You're  as  tough  as  a  hickory 
knot." 

They  could  have  seen  how  beautiful  was  the 
valley  they  were  riding  through  if  they  had 
not  been  in  it.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  path 
they  were  in  began  to  climb  a  steep  ascent  and 

178 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  179 

they  could  look  back  through  the  trees,  they 
broke  out  into  strong  expressions  of  admira- 
tion. 

"  It  was  a'most  worth  while  comin',"  said 
Jim  Cheyne,  "  if  'twas  only  to  see  this  'ere. 
If  Americans  got  hold  of  sech  a  country  as 
this  is  they'd  make  something  out  of  it." 

"  They  never  will,"  remarked  Bowie.  "  Best 
timber.  Best  farm  land  in  the  world.  Fine 
climate " 

"  Gold !  gold  !  Silver  !"  gasped  the  sufferer 
on  the  mule.  "  Americans — all  men  will  come 
some  day.  I  die,  but  the  lands  of  the  Monte- 
zumas  will  not  be  held  by  the  Spaniards." 

It  was  as  if  he  could  bear  the  idea  of  leaving 
his  mountains  and  valleys  and  their  riches  to 
any  other  race  than  the  one  which  had  broken 
the  empire  of  its  ancient  kings  and  destroyed 
the  temples  of  the  Aztec  gods. 

The  Texans  could  also  see  more  clearly  now 
the  grand  height  of  the  mountain  chain  into 
which  they  were  climbing.  They  were  evi- 
dently in  a  pass,  partly  natural  and  partly 
artificial.  In  places  which  would  otherwise 
have  been  difficult  the  narrow  roadway  had 
been  solidly  constructed  of  massive  stonework, 


180   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

for  the  greater  part  unhewn.  There  had  been 
excavations  also,  but  before  long  Joe  was  justi- 
fied in  remarking, — 

"  I  say,  colonel,  this  might  do  fur  mules,  but 
it  won't  for  mustangs.     I'd  ruther  go  afoot." 

He  sprang  to  the  ground  as  he  spoke,  and 
his  comrades  followed  his  example.  Well  they 
might,  for  at  their  right  arose  an  almost  per- 
pendicular cliff,  while  at  their  left  the  side  of 
the  mountain  went  down,  for  hundreds  of  feet, 
without  a  tree  or  a  bush  to  prevent  man  or 
horse  from  rolling  the  entire  descent. 

"  How  far  have  we  now  to  go  ?"  asked  Bowie 
of  his  guide.     kk  \U><\  Wolf,  hold  on." 

"Red  Wolf  find  road,"  came  back  in  Iipan- 
Spanish.  "  Big  Knife  bring  old  man.  Tetz- 
catl  heap  dead." 

"  Pitch  ahead,  then  !"  exclaimed  the  colonel. 
"  Boys,  wait  here  with  the  critters.  I'll  go  on 
and  find  the  place.  The  boy  can  come  back 
after  you." 

"  All  right,  colonel,"  replied  Jim.  "  He 
won't  last  long  now." 

"On!  on!"  exclaimed  Tetzcatl,  his  fierce, 
black  eyes  burning  with  the  fire  of  the  fever 
which  had  set  in  upon  him,  caused  by  his  hurts. 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  181 

"  We  are  at  the  door !  I  will  die  in  the 
house  !" 

He  was  very  weak  and  in  pain,  but  at  the 
end  of  a  hundred  yards  more  of  that  steep  and 
dangerous  pass  he  halted  his  mule,  slipped  off 
to  the  ground,  and  actually  stood  erect. 

"  Stay  here,"  he  said.  "  No  Spaniard  ever 
entered  the  last  house  of  Huitzilopochtli.  I 
go  on  !" 

He  turned,  bracing  himself  with  all  his 
remaining  strength,  and  went  forward  as  if 
he  believed  that  his  injunctions  had  been 
obeyed. 

"  Fever  crazy,"  said  the  colonel,  in  a  low 
voice.  "Keep  just  behind  him.  If  we  can 
follow  without  his  knowing." 

That  was  by  no  means  difficult,  for  he  did 
not  turn  his  head,  and  there  were  many  bushes, 
but  it  was  best  to  let  him  keep  a  number  of 
])aces  in  the  advance. 

It  was  a  winding  pathway  as  well  as  steep. 
There  were  sudden  turns  around  rocky  projec- 
tions, and  now  the  gorge  at  the  left  was  deeper 
and  more  terrible  to  look  down  into. 

"  What  ?"  exclaimed  Bowie,  as  he  and  his 
boy  companion   turned   one   of  these   corners. 


182   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Where  is  he?  Did  he  tumble  off  the  path? 
There  isn't  a  trace  of  him  !" 

Vacant  indeed  was  the  narrow  way  before 
them,  but  Red  Wolf  sprang  forward.  The 
mountain-side  above  was  not  perpendicular  at 
this  point  and  there  were  bushes. 

"Too  much  heap  bush;'  said  Red  Wolf. 
"Track  rabl.it  into  hole.      Qgh!" 

He  parted  the  luxuriant  growth  as  be  spoke 
and  uncovered  something  plainer  than  a  rabbit- 
track. 

"Go  ahead!"  said  the  colonel.  "Don't 
make  a  sound.  He  was  trying  t<>  gel  away. 
He  never  meant  t<>  show  it  t<>  us  at  all.  Thun- 
der!  A  man  might  hunt  for  this  a  hundred 
years  and  never  find  it." 

"  Ugh  !"  came  warningly  from  Red  Wolf,  for 
right  before  him  was  the  cleft  in  the  rock. 

No  guard  was  there  to  hinder  them,  but 
they  pushed  forward  with  all  caution.  Tetzcatl 
could  not  be  many  paces  farther  on.  He  must, 
as  yet,  be  entirely  unaware  that  he  had  been 
so  closely  followed. 

"It's  a  hole  into  a  den,"  muttered  Bowie. 
"  We've  got  to  all  but  go  on  all-fours." 

It  was  an  exciting  moment  with   so  much 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  183 

mystery  and  uncertainty  just  ahead  of  him,  but 
he  did  not  betray  any  excitement.  Hardly  as 
much  could  be  said  for  the  Red  Wolf,  for  he 
was  on  an  entirely  new  kind  of  hunt  and  it  did 
excite  him. 

There  is  a  singular  muscular  power  that 
often  comes  with  the  delirium  of  fever.  It 
sometimes  even  exceeds,  for  a  moment,  the  ut- 
most strength  of  health. 

Not  at  all  feeble,  but  firm  and  elastic,  was 
the  step  with  which  Tetzcatl  walked  out  from 
the  entrance  burrow  into  the  great  hall  of  the 
cavern.  He  went  forward  without  a  pause  at 
first,  and  without  speaking,  although  something 
more  than  ordinary  was  going  on. 

The  sculptured  head  of  the  war-god  stood 
out  in  full  relief  from  the  dark  face  of  the  rock, 
for  a  great  glare  fell  upon  it  from  the  altar. 
The  fire  was  blazing  high,  revealing  here  and 
there  the  ghastly,  ghostly  figures  of  the  priestly 
worshippers.  They  seemed  to  be  more  in 
number  than  on  the  day  of  his  departure,  but 
there  were  also  other  human  beings  present. 
Several  of  these  latter  stood  immediately  in 
front  of  the  altar  with  rope  fetters  on  their 
wrists. 


184   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

A  species  of  monotonous  chant  was  Bounding, 
by  discordant  voices,  in  the  tongue  of  the  an- 
cient race.  Every  now  and  then,  as  the  weird, 
hoarse  cadences  rose  and  fell,  a  club  was  lifted, 
a  heavy  blow  was  struck,  followed  by  a  Hash  of 
steel  and  the  fall  of  one  of  the  fettered  persons. 
Each  shriek  of  fear  <>r  agony  seemed  to  act  as 
a  signal  for  louder  chanting,  that  had  in  it  a 
sound  of  angry  mockery. 

"God  in  heaven!"  exclaimed  Bowie,  in  a 
hushed  whisper,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  cave. 
"  I've  heard  of  it  !  I've  read  of  it!  That's  an 
idol.  They  are  offering  human  sacrifices.  It's 
awful,  and  J  can't  do  one  thing  for  'em.  There 
went  the  Last  of  'em,  as  far  as  I  can  see.  Red 
Wolf,  keep  close  by  me.  I'm  going  to  see  this 
thing  clean  through.     There  goes  Tetzcatl." 

"  Ugh !"  was  all  the  reply  of  Red  Wolf,  but 
he  was  apparently  quite  ready  to  charge  for- 
ward, lance  in  hand,  if  such  were  his  orders 
from  his  white  chief. 

Bowie  had  drawn  his  knife  and  had  taken  a 
heavy  belt-pistol  in  his  left  hand,  cocking  it. 
He  had  not  halted  for  an  instant,  and  he  was 
now  half-way  down  the  cavern.  Here,  how- 
ever, he  almost  lay  down,  with  Red  Wolf  at 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  185 

his  side,  in  so  deep  a  shadow  that  there  was 
little  danger  of  their  presence  being  speedily 
discovered.  At  that  moment,  moreover,  the 
cave-dwellers  were  giving  all  their  attention  to 
Tetzcatl,  as  he  stood  haranguing  them  at  the 
highest  pitch  of  his  sepulchral  voice.  If  he 
were  giving  them  an  account  of  his  journey 
into  Texas,  only  those  who  understood  his  dia- 
lect could  tell,  and  before  long  he  turned  and 
walked  away  toward  the  lower  end  of  the  cave, 
still  talking  and  gesticulating  fiercely.  All 
the  others  moved  when  he  did,  and  they  were 
dragging  with  them  the  lifeless  forms  of  the 
victims  that  had  been  slain  in  front  of  the 
altar. 

"  This  is  a  terrible  piece  of  work,"  muttered 
Bowie  to  himself.  "  I'd  like  to  kill  every  one 
of  those  fellows.  I  knew  they  were  still  doing 
this  kind  of  thing  in  Africa,  wholesale  and  re- 
tail, thousands  on  thousands,  all  the  while,  but 
I'd  reckoned  it  was  long  ago  played  out  on  this 
continent.  There  are  loads  of  things  that  we 
don't  know.  Anyhow,  this  must  be  about  the 
last  of  it." 

Not  even  Africa  itself  exceeded  some  parts 
of  America  in  the  bloody  nature  of  their  old- 


186       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

time  idol -worship.  There  could  be,  moreover, 
no  sound  reason  for  supposing  that  altogether 
unreclaimed  heathen,  here  or  there,  would 
change  their  ways  or  cease  from  observing  their 
rites  merely  because  other  men  had  become 
civilized. 

Tetzcatl  and  his  companions  reached  the  level 
at  the  brink  of  the  chasm,  and  the  booming 
sound  came  loudly  up. 

"What  can  it  be?"  thoughl  Bowie.  kk  I'll 
see  what  they're  going  to  do,  cosl  what  it  may. 
There  isn't  a  shooting-iron  among  'em.  Some 
of  'em  are  stark  naked,  [f  it's  got  to  be  a 
fight,  I  believe  I  could  wipe  out  the  whole 
crowd,  but  I  don't  mean  to  run  any  risks. 
What  I  want  is  to  learn  all  I  can  this  trip  and 
get  out  alive." 

Red  Wolf  went  forward  at  his  side,  lance  in 
hand,  with  the  crouching,  springing  step  of  a 
young  panther  rather  than  the  gliding  of  a 
wolf. 

"  Big  Knife  strike  !"  he  said.  "  Heap  kill. 
Ugh  !     Red  Wolf !     Son  of  Castro  !" 

The  chanting  began  again,  and  Tetzcatl 
seemed  to  be  leading  it,  gesticulating  furiously, 
while  body  after  body  was  lifted  from  the  floor 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  187 

and  hurled  into  the  chasm  to  go  down  to  the 
gods.  As  the  last  offering  disappeared,  he 
turned  and  pointed  at  the  planks.  In  an  in- 
stant these  were  raised  and  slipped  across  the 
chasm. 

"Bridge,"  muttered  Bowie.  "I've  been  in 
caves  before,  but  this  is  a  pretty  big  one. 
There's  more  of  it,  I  suppose,  away  in  yonder. 
Best  kind  of  hiding-place.  Now,  what  are  they 
going  to  do?" 

Up  to  this  moment  Tetzcatl  had  exhibited 
the  strength  of  the  hot  fever  which  was  con- 
suming him.  Now,  however,  he  tottered  and 
reeled  as  he  walked  out  to  the  middle  of  the 
bridge.  Standing  here,  staggering  back  and 
forth,  he  shouted  a  few  words  in  his  own  tongue 
and  then  plunged  down,  head  foremost. 

"  That's  the  last  of  him  !"  exclaimed  Bowie. 

"Ugh!"  whispered  Red  Wolf.  "Heap 
look !" 

The  chanting  began  again,  as  if  a  sacrifice 
had  been  offered.  One  after  another  the  with- 
ered guardians  of  the  cave  of  Huitzilopochtli 
walked  slowly  across  the  bridge,  and  their 
torches  speedily  disappeared  in  a  vast  and 
vaulted  gloom  upon  the  other  side. 


188       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

"  Now  !"  exclaimed  Bowie. 
He  sprang  to  the  altar  and  snatched  from  it 
a  branch  of  blazing  pine.  Red  Wolf  did  the 
same,  and  they  were  without  other  company 
when  they  stood  together  at  the  brink  of  the 
chasm. 

"We  won't  go  across,"  -aid  Bowie;  "bul 
what's  this?  God  in  heaven!  It's  the  treas- 
ure !" 

There  they  lay,  the  stacks  of  ingots  and  the 
heaps  of  Quggets.  Ih-  could  aol  eveu  roughly 
estimate  their  value,  but  In-  exclaimed, — 

"Enough  t<»  pay  the  entire  debt  of  Texas; 
equip  an  army;  build  a  navy;  buyout  Mexico 
from  all  the  land,  west,  to  the  Pacific." 

It  was  the  golden  dream  of  a  new  empire, 
and  he  stood  a-  -till  as  a  statue  for  a  half- 
minute,  dreaming  it,  while  Red  Wolf  lilted  his 
torch  and  peered  into  the  yawning  gulf  and 
across  the  bridge. 

"  Just  as  old  Tetzeatl  said,"  remarked  Bowie, 
when  his  thoughtful  fit  ended.  "  But  we  can't 
take  it  now.  There  may  be  a  hundred  men  in 
yonder.  What's  more,  if  we  tried  it  on  we 
rnio'ht  be  caught  in  the  pass  by  a  swarm  of  'em. 
It  won't  do.     There  are  not  enough  of  us  this 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  189 

time.  We'll  have  to  come  again.  I'll  take 
along  some  samples,  but  gold  is  heavy." 

He  began  at  once  to  cut  off  long  strips  from 
the  serape  which  Tetzcatl  had  thrown  upon  the 
floor.  They  answered  for  straps  with  which 
to  tie  up  for  himself  and  Red  Wolf  as  many 
gold  bars  as  they  could  conveniently  carry. 
They  worked  rapidly,  for  time  might  be  pre- 
cious. Not  merely  for  the  present  matter  of 
their  own  life  or  death,  but  that  no  returning 
idol-worshipper  might  know  that  the  secret  of 
the  cavern  had  been  discovered. 

"  Out  now,"  said  Bowie.  "  This  is  all  we 
can  do  this  time,  but  I  don't  want  to  see  any 
more  high  old  Mexican  religion." 

"Ugh!"  said  Red  Wolf.  "Tetzcatl  gone. 
Heap  fool  jump !" 

"Well,"  replied  Bowie,  coolly,  "the  old 
rascal  was  about  dead  anyhow." 

After  that  he  was  silent  and  so  was  his  com- 
panion, while  they  hurried  out  of  the  cave. 
They  hardly  uttered  a  word  until  they  stood 
among  their  comrades  in  the  pass. 

"  Hurrah  !"  shouted  Jim  Cheyne.  "  We've 
been  up  and  we've  been  down  huntin'  ye. 
What  kept  ye  so  long,  colonel  ?" 


190       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

The  fagots  of  golden  bars  were  held  up  be- 
fore the  astonished  eyes  of  the  rangers,  and 
they  crowded  around  to  see  and  to  feel  the 
wonderful  yellow  metal. 

"  Colonel,"  gasped  Joe,  "  I  don't  believe  a 
word  of  it,  but  just  tell  us  what  it  is." 

" The  Montezuma  treasure!"  shouted  Bowie. 
"  Heaps  on  heaps  of  it  in  the  cave." 

"We'll  go  right  in,"  responded  voice  after 
voice,  in  feverish  eagerness. 

"Not  to-day,  we  won't,"  he  said,  and  then, 
while  they  listened  in  awe-struck  silence,  he 
told  them  all  there  was  to  tell  and  what  he 
intended  doing. 

"Your  head's  level,"  said  Jim,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  it.  "We  mustn't  go  in.  We'd  be 
followed  by  an  army  of  'em  all  the  way  to  the 
Rio.     Not  one  of  us  M  git  thar." 

"Just  so,"  said  the  colonel.  "Now  I'll 
swear  you  all  in  to  keep  the  secret,  and  then 
we  must  be  moving.  We  can  come  back  with 
three  hundred  men,  and  even  then  nobody 
must  know  we're  coming  till  the  job's  done 
clean." 

Every  man  was  ready  to  be  sworn  to  secrecy, 
but  the  Texan  patriot  made  them  swear  to  one 


THE    LAST    OF    TETZCATL.  191 

thing  more.  One  full  half  of  all  that  might 
be  recovered  from  the  cave,  over  and  above  the 
expenses  of  an  exjiedition  to  obtain  it,  was  to 
go  into  the  treasury  of  Texas,  to  be  spent  in 
fighting  for  its  freedom.  They  were  of  one 
accord  as  to  that,  without  a  dissenting  voice, 
but  Bowie  was  a  liberal  man  as  well  as  patri- 
otic and  prudent,  and  as  soon  as  the  future 
was  duly  cared  for,  he  saw  that  it  was  right 
and  wise  to  provide  them  with  a  sufficient 
reward  for  their  services  in  the  present  expe- 
dition. 

"  You've  done  well  this  first  time,"  had  come 
from  Jim  Cheyne. 

"  Well,"  said  the  colonel,  "  these  things  are 
near  of  a  size.  We'll  divide  'em,  share  and 
share  alike,  every  fellow  to  tote  his  own  win- 
nings. It  '11  be  the  best  four  weeks'  work  any 
of  you  were  ever  paid  for " 

"  Half  to  Texas  anyhow !"  shouted  Jim,  as 
he  handled  the  bars  that  fell  to  his  lot.  "  The 
republic  can  have  my  whole  pile  if  I'm 
knocked  on  the  head.  Hurrah !  Now  for 
home  !     We've  done  enough  !" 

As  for  Red  Wolf,  he  hardly  knew  what  to 
do  with  three  long,  heavy,  dingy  sticks  of  metal 


192       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

that  were  assigned  to  him.  He  fastened  them 
behind  the  saddle  which  now  adorned  his 
mustang,  but  he  did  so  out  of  respect  for  Big 
Knife.  The  saddle  itself  was  a  kind  of  pale- 
face emcumbrance,  but  he  had  won  it  at  the 
hacienda,  and  he  rode  in  it  for  the  sake  of 
glory,  as  a  prize  of  war. 

As  for  regarding  a  gold  bar  as  a  silver  dollar, 
he  had  not  yet  climbed  as  high  as  that.  The 
nearest  he  came  to  an  understanding  was  when 
Joe  held  up  one  of  his  own  bars  and  shouted, — 

"I  say,  colonel,  jnst  what  we've  got  here 
would  buy  another  eighteen-pounder  as  big  as 
the  one  in  the  Alamo." 

"  Two  of  'em,"  replied  Bowie,  kk  and  a  dozen 
rounds  apiece  of  powder  and  ball.  That's 
what  we  want, — powder  and  ball.  Boys  !  One 
more  secret !  I'm  going  to  take  you  right 
thar !  We'll  go  home  with  cash  enough  to  put 
the  Alamo  in  first-rate  order,  rations,  rifles, 
and  all.     Forward,  march  !" 

On  they  went,  down  the  mountain,  carrying 
with  them  the  secret  of  the  treasures  of  the 
Montezumas. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE    PERILOUS    PATH. 

CAN  the  mere  possession  of  a  secret  turn  a 
brave  man  into  a  coward  ?  One  would 
think  not,  and  yet  the  entire  demeanor  and 
conduct  of  Colonel  Bowie  underwent  a  change. 
It  seemed  to  be  growing  upon  him,  as  he  led 
the  way  down  the  pass  and  out  into  the  valley. 
His  men,  too,  hardened  frontiersmen  and  In- 
dian fighters  as  they  were,  responded  almost 
nervously  to  his  every  suggestion  of  extreme 
watchfulness. 

There  were  good  reasons  for  it  all.  They 
had  reached  the  valley  in  peace,  but  no  one 
could  guess  by  what  eyes  their  arrival  had  been 
noted,  or  what  forces  might  be  gathering  to 
strike  a  blow  at  them. 

The  dark  clans  of  the  Mexican  mountains 
were  known  to  be  courageous.  No  other  men 
had  a  greater  disregard  for  either  the  lives  of 
other  men  or  their  own.  They  had  succeeded 
in  protecting  their  fastnesses  so  perfectly  that 

13  193 


194   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

the  Spanish  and  then  the  several  Mexican  gov- 
ernments had  consented  to  let  them  alone.  As 
to  the  latter,  indeed,  the  short  history  of  Mex- 
ico as  an  independent  state  had  been,  thus  far, 
little  better  than  the  record  of  struggles  for 
power  between  warring  chiefs  and  factions. 
Whoever  at  any  date  had  been  temporarily 
in  authority  bad  bad  quite  enough  to  do  to 
maintain  Ins  own  supremacy.  There  had  been 
few  troops  to  spare  for  operations  against  the 
red  men  of  the  North,  and  none  at  all  for  the 
penetration  of  the  really  undiscovered  country 
which  contained  such  remnants  as  Tetzcatl  and 
his  comrades  of  the  cave. 

"They  could  wipe  us  out,  boys,"  was  the 
freely  expressed  opinion  all  around,  and  they 
were  ready,  as  Joe  expressed  it,  "  to  just  sneak 
all  the  way  back,  if  we've  any  idee  of  comin' 
this  way  ag'in  after  that  pewter." 

Bowie's  own  calculations  continually  went 
on  beyond  the  dangers  of  the  road. 

"  I've  got  to  reach  Houston,"  he  said,  "  and 
set  him  at  work  with  those  dollars.  We  can 
make  up  a  force  to  come  again  with.  I  can  trust 
Crockett  and  Travis.  We  can  have  our  pick 
of  men.     But  we  needn't  let  the  rank  and  file 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH.  195 

know  the  whole  thing.  One  of  'em  might  let 
it  out  too  soon.  If  we  work  still  enough,  Ave  can 
ride  across  all  this  country  and  hardly  stir  up 
the  Mexicans.  One  big  mule  train  '11  carry 
all  there  is  in  the  cave.  We  can  get  it  across 
the  Rio  Grande,  perhaps,  without  having  to  fire 
a  shot.  Not  that  I  mind  fighting,  if  it  comes 
to  that,  but  as  soon  as  it's  all  landed  as  far  as 
the  Alamo,  the  republic  of  Texas  is  a  made  na- 
tion. We  can  arm  all  the  men  we  can  raise, 
and  we  can  whip  Santa  Anna  out  of  his  boots.'' 

It  was  the  fate  of  the  future  that  was  in  his 
mind  and  on  his  shoulders.  If  he  should  now 
get  himself  killed,  with  his  little  band  of  ran- 
gers, who  would  ever  know  where  to  come  for 
the  treasures  of  the  Montezumas  ? 

As  for  Red  Wolf,  the  secret  did  not  trouble 
him.  It  did  not  seem  to  belong  to  him  at  all. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  entirely  in  accord  with  his 
ideas  that  a  war-party,  returning  through  an 
enemy's  country,  should  travel  as  stealthily  as 
so  many  wild  animals. 

That  first  night  no  fire  was  kindled,  and  the 
march  began  again  before  the  sun  was  up.  Be- 
fore the  end  of  the  next  day  one  worn-out 
horse  had  to  be  left  behind. 


196       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  We'll  use  'em  all  up  if  need  be,"  remarked 
Bowie.  "  All  I  want  is  to  get  to  the  chaparral 
with  critters  enough  to  go  home  from  there  on 
a  walk." 

It  was  on  one  of  those  days  of  watchful,  tire- 
some pushing  for  the  men  who  had  the  secret  to 
carry  and  the  ingots  of  gold  from  the  cave,  but 
it  was  hundreds  of  miles  away  from  them  that  a 
group  of  very  serious-looking  men  sat  around  a 
table  in  alog  farm-house.  If  it  were  any  kind  of 
council,  the  conversational  part  of  it  had  momen- 
tarily ceased  and  they  all  were  thinking  silently. 

A  heavy  step  sounded  outside  the  door;  it 
swung  suddenly  open,  and  a  voice  not  at  all 
loud  but  very  much  in  earnest  startled  them  to 
their  feet. 

"  Here  I  am,  Houston  !     They're  coming  !" 

"  Crockett !"  shouted  the  astonished  general. 
"  I  thought  you  were  in  Washington." 

"  Well,  I  ain't,  then,"  responded  the  grim 
bear-killer,  throwing  his  coonskin  cap  violently 
upon  the  table.  "  I  didn't  git  beyond  New 
Orleans.  I  found  a  liea]}  of  letters  thar,  and 
thar  was  all  sorts  of  deviltry  in  'em.  It's  no 
use  to  look  for  anything  from  Congress  this 
session,  and  that  ain't  the  wust  of  it." 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH.  197 

"  Out  with  it,  colonel,"  came  from  across  the 
table.  "  Let's  have  it  all.  We  were  having  a 
blue  time  anyhow." 

"  Stingy  !  stingy  !  stingy  !"  roared  Crockett. 
"  Everybody's  afraid  to  put  in  a  cent,  Not  a 
dollar  to  be  had,  nor  any  pound  of  stuff  with- 
out the  dollars.  You  see,  boys,  the  trouble  is 
the  news  from  Mexico.  Santa  Anna  was  at 
Monterey  gathering  his  best  troops  and  get- 
ting ready  to  come  after  us.  Thar  are  several 
regiments  already  down  near  Matamoras  on 
the  coast  getting  supplies  by  the  sea.  Every 
friend  of  ours  seems  to  be  skeered.  They 
reckon  we'll  be  chawed  up." 

"  Not  so  easy,"  came  again  from  across  the 
table.  "  I  reckon  the  Greasers  have  got  their 
work  cut  out." 

-Travis,"  said  Crockett,  "I'm  glad  you're 
here.     Have  you  heard  from  Bowie  ?" 

"  Not  a  word,"  replied  Travis,  "  except  that 
he  and  Castro  had  some  kind  of  a  brush  with 
the  Comanches,  and  another  with  Bravo's 
lancers.  Beckon  it  was  all  right.  He's  just 
the  kind  of  fellow  to  pull  through." 

Even  while  he  spoke,  however,  the  bright- 
faced    ranger    colonel    caught    Crockett's    eye 


198   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

and  sent  him  a  look  that  prevented  further 
questioning. 

"  Time  for  us  to  be  moving,"  said  Houston, 
steadily.  "  We'll  gather  what  forces  we  can. 
The  first  thing  is  the  Alamo.  We  can  send  a 
pretty  good  lot  of  rations." 

"Powder!"  said  Travis,  with  energy. 
"What  the  Alamo  needs  is  powder.  And  we 
want  men  enough  to  handle  guns." 

"You  shall  have  them,"  said  Houston. 
"Texas  won't  leave  yon  in  the  lurch.  Go  and 
put  things  in  as  good  condition  as  you  can." 

"All  right,"  said  Travis;  but  Crockett  was 
easier  to  learn  whatever  news  might  be  had 
around  the  table,  and  he  lingered  to  get  it  all. 
At  last  he  and  Travis  walked  out  into  the 
open  air,  and  they  were  no  sooner  alone  than 
the  latter  turned  and  looked  his  friend  in  the 
face. 

"  Crockett,"  he  said,  "  either  Bowie  is  wiped 
out,  or  he  and  his  men  have  ridden  down  into 
Mexico  after  that  gold  of  Tetzcatl's." 

"  That's  what  he's  done,  then,"  said  Crockett, 
confidently.  "  He's  a  critter  that  '11  take  no 
end  of  killing.  He  had  the  right  sort  of  men 
with  him.     What  I  want   is  to  see  him   back 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH.  199 

ag'in,  gold  or  no  gold,  and  to  have  him  with  us 
when  the  Greasers  come  for  the  Alamo.  I 
mean  to  be  thai*  mvself." 

"  Crockett,"  replied  Bowie,  "  Sam  Houston 
is  mistaken.  He  can't  raise  a  dollar.  All 
we've  got  to  depend  on  is  the  men.  We'll  take 
our  pick,  though,  and  we  can  hold  that  fort 
against  all  the  ragamuffins  south  of  the  Rio 
Grande." 

On  they  walked,  talking  as  they  went,  but  if 
they  could  have  had  a  look  at  some  of  Santa 
Anna's  "  ragamuffins"  they  might  not  have  felt 
so  confident. 

In  the  great  plaza  of  the  city  of  Monterey, 
in  front  of  the  church,  a  regiment  of  infantry 
was  at  that  hour  paraded  for  inspection.  Their 
arms  were  good,  for  they  had  just  been  imported 
from  across  the  Atlantic.  Their  uniforms  were 
new.  Their  drill  was  fair.  They  seemed  to  be 
well  handled.  They  were  not  by  any  means, 
in  appearance  at  least,  the  kind  of  soldiers  to 
be  despised  by  a  half-armed  garrison  of  an  old 
adobe  fort.  Even  the  stone  part  of  the  Alamo 
defences  might  be  in  danger,  for  a  battery  of 
heavy  cannon  was  drawn  up  near  them.  In 
front  of  the  line  were  halted  a  dozen  or  so  of 


200      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

officers  on  horseback,  brilliant  in  equipment, 
whose  bronzed  and  bearded  faces  wore  a  very 
warlike  look. 

Encamped  near  the  city  walls,  outside,  were 
other  regiments  and  other  batteries.  What 
could  the  Texan s  moan  by  their  contempt  for 
the  forces  which  were  to  come  against  them? 
What  hope  had  their  poverty-stricken  little 
state  in  a  struggle  againsi  such  Qumbers  and 
such  resources  as  dow  were  gathering  to  con- 
quer it? 

The  review  was  over.  A  Balute  was  fired  by 
the  battery.  The  troops  cheered.  The  name 
of  Santa  Anna  mingled  loudly  with  the  cheer- 
ing, and  the  general,  sending  his  splendid  horse 
forward,  raised  his  hat  gracefully  in  response. 
But  then  he  turned  to  his  attendant  officers 
and  remarked, — 

"  It  is  well,  gentlemen.  The  troops  are  in 
fine  condition.  We  shall  sweep  the  Gringos 
out  of  Texas.  Now  for  the  cock-tight,  and 
then  we  will  have  a  quiet  game  of  monte  at 
the  palace." 

He  had  pretty  fairly  condensed  into  his  re- 
marks one  feature  of  the  situation.  The  sturdy 
riflemen  of  the  American  border  were  strongly 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH.  201 

impressed  with  the  worthlessness  of  the  Mexi- 
can military  organization  ;  with  the  dissipated, 
lazy  character  of  its  men  and  their  comman- 
ders ;  and  they  confidently  expected  that  a 
Mexican  invasion  of  Texas  would  be  little  more 
than  a  campaign  of  wasteful  blunders. 

"  If  we  can  stand  their  first  rush,"  had  been 
said  by  General  Houston,  "they'll  break  all 
to  pieces  before  they  make  another." 

If  Travis  and  his  friends  were  beginning  to 
be  anxious  concerning  the  fate  of  Bowie,  he  was 
all  the  while  growing  more  and  more  anxious 
about  it  himself.  He  would  have  been  more  so 
if  the  region  of  country  he  was  pushing  his  way 
through  had  not  been  so  very  nearly  unoccu- 
pied. Here  and  there  a  fortified  town  or  vil- 
lage needed  to  be  given  a  wide  berth.  Strongly 
built  haciendas  were  to  be  avoided,  if  they 
were  not  already  deserted.  Most  of  them 
were  so  by  reason  of  the  recent  civil  wars, 
and  yet  more  on  account  of  the  destructive 
raids  of  the  red  men.  It  was  a  nearly  ruined 
country,  and  it  was  not  altogether  impossible 
for  even  a  considerable  band  of  prudent  men 
to  travel  across  it  without  attracting  too  much 
attention. 


202       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

The  men  discussed  the  probabilities  again 
and  again,  and  their  leader  was  studying  them 
carefully,  but  from  time  to  time  he  shook  his 
head. 

"Boys,"  he  remarked,  as  they  sat  around 
their  camp-fire  in  the  woods  that  evening, 
"you're  only  half  right.  We  could  march 
an  expedition  along  by  this  route  and  not  find 
a  soul  to  hinder  us,  but  there'd  be  a  whole 
brigade  of  lancers  riding  this  way  before  we 
could  get  the  bullion  and  set  <>ut  for  home.  I 
reckon  they'd  meet  us  Bomewhere  about  here. 
They  could  pen  us  in." 

"  Colonel, "  replied  Jim  Cheyne,  "  I've 
thought  of  that.  This  is  the  shortest  road  to 
come  or  go  on,  isn't  it  ?" 

"  By  all  odds  the  shortest,"  said  Bowie. 

"  Then  it's  our  road  to  come  back,  and  we 
can  choose  a  roundabout  road  to  go  there  by. 
They'll  foller  our  trail,  and  we  kin  make  one 
we'd  jest  as  lieve  they  would  foller.  We  kin 
beat  'em." 

It  was  a  kind  of  relief  to  their  present 
anxiety  to  sit  there  and  make  plans  for  the 
future.  They  were  never  tired,  moreover,  of 
hearing  again  and  again  a  description  of  the 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH.  203 

cavern,  the  idol,  the  sacrifices,  the  plunges  into 
the  chasm,  and  the  heaps  of  gold  and  silver. 
Some  day  they  were  to  see  it  all  for  themselves, 
and  they  were  to  take  the  treasure  out  of  the 
cave  and  pack  it  upon  their  mules  and  ponies. 
Then  they  were  to  go  home  with  it.  They 
could  buy  plantations,  build  houses,  "  live  like 
gentlemen,"  as  Joe  was  fund  of  saying,  and  all 
the  while  they  could  strengthen  Texas  and 
help  its  riflemen  to  drive  out  Santa  Anna. 

One  of  their  number,  however,  did  not  care 
a  button  for  anything  that  they  were  saying. 
Not  any  of  it  belonged  to  him.  All  that  he 
knew  about  was  the  present,  and  all  that  he 
could  feel  were  his  keen  instincts  as  a  young 
Lipan  warrior  with  a  party  of  white  men  upon 
his  hands.  They  were  friends  of  his,  and  it 
was  his  duty  to  take  care  of  them.  He  had 
gone  to  sleep  at  once  that  evening,  after  eat- 
ing his  supper  at  sunset,  but  not  long  after 
the  weary  rangers  spread  their  blankets  and  lay 
down  their  very  red  associate  was  up  again. 

Joe  was  acting  as  sentry  at  the  foot  of  a  tree, 
with  his  rifle  across  his  lap,  but  he  paid  no 
attention  to  Red  Wolf  when  he  saw  him  walk- 
ing toward  the  nearest  underbrush. 


204      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Indian  !"  he  muttered.     "  Let  him  rip." 
"Red  Wolf  heap  look,1'  said  be,  a  few  min- 
utes afterwards,  as  he   came  out  into  a   place 
where  the  trees  were  widely  scattered. 

A  white  man  might  not  have  seen  anything, 
for  all  around  him  was  as  dark  as  a  pocket,  hut 
upon  a  cloudy  gloom  above  the  forest  beyond 
him  there  rested  a  faint,  yellowish  glow. 
"  Ugh  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  Fire  burn." 
He  had  brought  no  weapons  with  him 
excepting  the  knife  and  pistols  in  hi-  belt, 
but  be  was  now  armed  better  than  were  most 
Indian  boys,  and  Bowie  had  promised  him  a 
rifle. 

From  tree  to  tree,  keeping  among  the 
shadows,  on  he  went,  and  all  the  while  the 
odow  grew  brighter,  until  at  last  he  could  see 
the  flashing  of  fires  and  the  forms  of  those 
around  them. 

"T>h!"  said  Eed  Wolf.  "Mexican.  No 
Comanche.     Heap  sleep." 

In  every  direction  lay  the  prostrate  forms  of 
men.  Standing  erect  or  walking  hither  and 
thither  were  a  few  who  might  be  acting  as  a 
night  watch.  A  group  of  these  were  gathered 
at  the  end  of  the  camp  nearest  the  young  scout 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH. 


205 


or  spy,  and  he  crept  toward  them,  for  they  were 
jabbering  loudly  in  Spanish.  They  carried 
weapons,  bows  and  arrows,  escopetas,  or  short 
muskets,  machetes  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  knives, 
lances,  hatchets,  clubs.  They  were  not  regular 
soldiers,  but  their  numbers  made  them  suffi- 
ciently dangerous. 

"  Eat  up  Texan,"  thought  Red  Wolf.  "  No 
catch  him.     Go  back." 

He  went  rapidly  enough,  until  Joe,  at  the 
foot  of  his  tree,  was  startled  by  a  hand  upon 
his  shoulder.  A  few  swift  words  told  him  what 
was  the  matter,  and  the  other  rangers  were  at 
once  roughly  stirred  up. 

"Do  you  s'pose,  colonel,"  asked  Cheyne, 
"that  we've  been  followed?" 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !"  exclaimed  Bowie.  "  These 
chaps  got  their  cue  from  Tetzcatl  somehow  while 
we  were  on  the  way.  He  never  meant  we  should 
find  out  this  thing  and  get  home  again.  They 
don't  know  the  secret  either.  All  they  know 
is  that  we're  a  squad  of  Gringos,  and  that  we 
must  be  chopped  up.  Most  likely  they  heard 
of  us  to-day,  and  mean  to  strike  us  in  the 
morning.     We  must  git !     That's  all." 

"Bully  for  Red  Wolf!"  seemed  to  express 


206      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

the  general  opinion  of  the  rangers,  but  the  half- 
rested,  half-fed  animals  were  untethered  at  once. 
"If  it  hadn't  been  for  you  they'd  ha' 
corralled  us,"  remarked  Cheyne  to  Red  Wolf, 
but  all  the  response  he  obtained  was  "  Ugb  !" 

-We  have  everything  in  our  favor,"  said 
the, colonel,  "  now  we've  passed  'em.  Buch  a 
crowd  as  that  won't  stir  out  early.  They'll  all 
lie  around  and  jabber  and  smoke  cigarettes  and 
drink  pulque  and  gamble  and  boast,  and  theE 
they'll  Bwarm  in  to  find  that  we've  stolen  a 
march  on  'em." 

For  once  he  was  mistaken   in  his  estimate 
of  his  enemies.     It  was  in  the  very  dawn  of 
the  day,  when  he  and  his  comrades  might  have 
been  supposed  to  be  asleep,  that  the  miscellane- 
ous militia  from  the  Mexican  camp  "swarmed 
in"  to  slaughter  the  too  adventurous  Gringos. 
It  was    a   sudden   rush,   made    at   a  signal,   a 
musket-shot,  and  it  was  made  with  wild  shouts 
of  anticipated  triumph.     It  would  have  been 
entirely  successful  but  for  the  tact  that  Bowie 
and    his    men    had    been    pushing    northward 
during  four  long  hours,  at  a  rate  which  had 
compelled  them  to  abandon  one  more  of  their 
over-driven  horses. 


THE    PERILOUS    PATH.  207 

"  We've  learned  one  lesson,"  said  the  colonel, 
when  at  last  they  halted  on  the  northerly  bank 
of  a  stream  which  had  proved  barely  forclable. 
"  When  we  come  again  we  can  make  sure  that 
all  the  Greasers  will  gather  behind  us  to  cut 
off  our  retreat." 

"  That's  what  I  was  saying,"  replied  Cheyne. 
"  We  mustn't  try  to  go  and  come  by  the  same 
road." 

"Ugh!"  said  Red  Wolf.  "Bring  heap 
Texan.     Mexican  run." 

"There's  a  good  deal  in  that,"  laughed 
Bowie,  "  but  we  don't  want  to  have  to  fight  at 
all.  We  must  work  it  as  sly  as  so  many  horse- 
thieves.  We  shall  be  carrying  too  much 
plunder  to  want  a  battle  with  Bravo's  lancers." 

They  were  safe  for  the  present,  however,  and 
after  only  a  brief  rest  they  went  on  again — for 
life. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  RETURN  OF  THE  GOLD  HUNTERS. 

"  "TTTELL,  boys,  we  got  in  like  woodchucks 
'  '  by  the  .same  hole  we  came  out  of," 
said  Colonel  Bowie  to  his  men. 

"  Reckon  the  lancers  are  scouting  the  south 
prairie  after  us  yet,"  replied  Jim  Cheyne. 

"They  didn't  know  about  the  ravine,  Jim," 
said  another  ranger.  "But  ain't  I  glad  we're 
safe  in  among  the  bushes." 

Here  they  were,  at  all  events,  plodding  along 
one  of  the  sandy  avenues  of  the  chaparral. 
Both  the  men  and  their  horses  had  a  worn  and 
jaded  look. 

"  Our  tramp's  nearly  ended,"  continued  the 
colonel.  "  The  lancers  made  it  a  close  shave 
from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Nueces,  but  we've 
beaten  'em.  We  know  now  that  Santa  Anna 
is  in  Texas,  and  we're  back  in  time  to  take  our 
part  in  the  fight.  We've  had  good  weather  to 
travel  in,  but  so  will  he.  It's  getting  on  into 
the  spring." 

208 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  GOLD  HUNTERS.   209 

"  Ugh !"  exclaimed  Red  Wolf,  pausing  be- 
fore a  tree.  "  Heaj)  Comanche  in  bushes. 
Great  Bear  sign." 

There  was  a  gash  upon  the  tree,  such  as 
might  be  made  with  a  knife.  It  was  a  curved 
line  with  a  notch  in  the  middle,  for  a  bow  with 
an  arrow,  it  might  be. 

"  Made  to-day,"  said  Bowie,  as  he  studied 
the  mark.  "  The  saj)  is  running.  We'll  have 
to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  if  we  mean  to  get 
through,  but  they  can't  know  we're  here." 

It  was  a  warning  of  an  unexpected  danger, 
but  it  did  not  seem  to  depress  them.  On  the 
contrary,  their  faces  were  bright  and  hopeful, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  had  left  so  many 
tired-out  horses  by  the  way  that  they  now  had 
only  one  mount  left  for  each  man. 

"  We  haven't  lost  a  man,"  remarked  Jim, 
cheerfully,  "  and  we've  kept  every  pound  of  the 
rhino.   We're  going  back  after  the  rest  of  it,  too." 

"  We  are  !"  said  Bowie,  with  almost  an  ap- 
pearance of  enthusiasm.  "  We'll  set  out  as 
soon  as  Texas  is  clear  of  Santa  Anna." 

"  That's  it,"  said  Joe  ;  "  but  you  see,  as  soon 
as  he's  well  whipped  the  coast  '11  be  clearer 
than  it  ever  was  before." 

14 


210      THE    LOST   GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

On  they  pushed,  and  Red  Wolf  rode  in  the 
advance  as  a  kind  of  guide.  Part  of  the  time 
he  was  hidden  from  his  white  friends  by  the 
crooks  and  turns  of  the  path  by  which  he  was 
leading  them,  and  now  and  then  he  had  to  ride 
back  to  indicate  the  right  way. 

"It  takes  a  redskin,"  they  said  more  than 
once,  "and  he's  jest  the  reddest  Indian  there 
ever  was." 

That  was  so,  for  the  sun  had  not  appeared  to 
have  any  power  over  the  peculiar  tint  of  his 
skin,  but  all  the  while  he  had  seemed  to  be 
growing  older.  If  he  had  been  a  b<>y  when  In- 
joined  them  at  the  Alamo,  Red  Wolf  was  now 
a  warrior,  tested  bv  the  emergencies  of  a  very 
uncommon  "  war-path." 

The  hours  went  Bwiftly  by  and  there  was  no 
haste  to  be  made. 

"  Go  slow,"  had  been  the  repeated  injunction 
of  Bowie.     "  The  main  thing  is  to  get  there." 

It  must  have  been  about  noon  when  Red 
Wolf  came  riding  back  with  a  hand  lifted  in 
warning. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Bowie. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  said.  "  Great  Bear  in  bushes. 
Heap  Comanche.     Big  Knife  heap  snake." 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  GOLD  HUNTERS.   211 

He  wheeled  his  mustang  to  the  right  and 
they  followed  him. 

"  It's  awful !"  exclaimed  Cheyne.  "  Colonel, 
the  Comanches  have  joined  the  Mexicans. 
What  about  the  Lipans  ?" 

"  Fighting  the  Comanches,"  responded  Bo- 
wie. "  The  trouble  is  that  they  seem  to  be  ex- 
pecting us.  If  we  can  ride  around  'em,  though, 
we'll  get  in." 

"  All  right,"  said  Jim,  "  but  things  are  look- 
ing a  little  squally.  I'd  like  to  give  'em  a  shot 
or  two." 

"  Not  a  shot  if  we  can  help  it,"  said  Bowie. 
"  Wait  till  I  show  you  something.  It's  only  a 
short  ride  now." 

It  was  much  longer  because  of  the  detour, 
and  Red  Wolf  was  now  once  more  out  of  sight. 

"  What's  that  ?"  exclaimed  Bowie.  "  What 
on  earth  made  him  whoop  ?  They've  got  him  ! 
Gallop,  men  !     Save  him  if  we  can  !" 

They  went  forward  at  a  swifter  gait,  but 
there  was  no  saving  to  be  done.  They  were 
already  nearer  than  they  had  supposed  to  the 
pond  and  the  ruins.  The  young  Lipan  had 
pressed  on  also,  with  a  pretty  clear  idea  in 
his  head.     He  had  even  ridden  to  the  border 


212       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

of  the    open,  and  had   been    looking  out  and 
around  it  searchingly. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  said,  "  Great  Bear  no  come  !" 

"Ugh!"  exclaimed  a  deep  voice  from  a 
thicket  near  him.     "  Castro  !" 

"  AVhoo-oo-oop  !"  hurst  from  the  lips  of 
Red  Wolf,  and  he  wheeled  his  pony  right  into 
the  thicket.     "Castro!" 

He  could  not  have  held  in  that  burst  of 
surprise  and  joy,  nor  could  the  chief  himself 
have  done  otherwise  than  to  come  out  from  his 
hiding-place  with  a  great  bound.  Swift,  indeed, 
were  the  explanations  which  were  exchanged. 
Only  a  brief  outline  could  he  given  by  Bed 
Wolf  of  his  wonderful  campaign  in  .Mexico. 
The  particulars  would  have  to  wait.  Castro 
himself  could  do  hut  little  better  at  that  mo- 
ment. 

"  Tetzcatl  heap  liar  !"  contained  the  root  of 
the  matter. 

He  had  said  very  little  more  than  that  when 
they  heard  hushed  voices  in  the  pathway  near 
them. 

"  Jest  about  yer  it  was,"  said  one. 

"  Look  out  sharp  now  !"  said  another. 

"  I'll  find  his  carkiss  if  I  can,"   came  from 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    GOLD    HUNTERS.        213 

Joe.  "  He  was  a  buster.  But  what  did  he 
whoop  for  ?" 

"He  ort  not  to,"  remarked  Jim,  "but  I 
s'pose  he  couldn't,  help  it.  Now  they'll  all 
know  we've  come.  But  I  just  liked  that  young 
feller." 

"Ugh  !"  said  Castro.  "  Heap  friend  of  Red 
Wolf.     Boy  talk." 

Out  darted  Red  Wolf,  and  in  a  moment  mure 
there  were  hearty  hand-shakings  all  around. 

Castro  had  ghastly  tokens  to  show  of  the 
blows  he  had  stricken  upon  his  Comanche 
enemies,  but  now  he  gave  also  a  better  account 
of  the  manner  of  his  separation  from  his 
friends  on  the  night  after  they  went  over  the 
Rio  Grande. 

There  had  been,  as  Tetzcatl  had  reported,  a 
sharp  brush  between  the  Lipans  and  a  party 
of  Comanches.  The  old  Tlascalan  had  only 
overstated  the  affair  in  order  that  he  might 
carry  off  the  Texans  with  him. 

"  All  gone"  had  been  partly  true,  neverthe- 
less, for  the  Lipans,  losing  a  few  braves,  had 
been  forced  to  retreat  toward  the  north.  They 
had  thereby  been  compelled  to  give  up  any 
idea  of  trying  to  join  Bowie's  party. 


214   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

Ever  since  then,  believing  that  his  son  and 
his  friends  had  been  "  wiped  out,"  the  revenge- 
ful chief  had  been  hanging  upon  the  move- 
ments of  Great  Bear's  band  wherever  they 
went  or  came.  He  was  now  informed  some- 
what more  fully  of  what  the  adventurers  had 
been  doing,  but  it  was  no  time  for  too  much 
talk. 

"Forward  now,"  exclaimed  Bowie,  at  last. 
"Our  next  business  is  to  get  the  cash  and  push 
on  to  the  Alamo.  We're  pretty  nigh  out  of 
powder  ourselves.      We  couldn't   stand  a  long 

fight.- 

On  they  went,  therefore,  cautiously  enough, 
but  when  they  reached  the  open  it  seemed 
entirely  deserted.  They  halted  in  the  bushes 
while  Castro  and  Bed  Wolf  made  circuits  to 
the  right  and  left. 

"  Men,"  said  Bowie,  with  emphasis,  while 
they  waited,  "  we'll  go  in  and  get  it.  We 
must  take  almost  any  risk  to  carry  it  off.  But 
don't  you  forget,  if  I  go  down,  that  this  cash 
belongs  to  Texas.  'Tisn't  yours  nor  mine, 
except  each  man's  fair  allowance  for  taking  it 
in.  None  of  you  fellows  found  it,  in  the  first 
place." 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    GOLD    HTTXTERS.        215 

"  All  right,  colonel,"  responded  Joe.  "  Hur- 
rah for  Texas.  I  don't  want  any  dollar  that 
isn't  mine." 

"  Don't  hurrah  quite  yet,"  said  Bowie. 
"  We  don't  know  how  near  we  may  be  to  a 
hundred  scalping-knives.  Hullo  !  Here  they 
come." 

It  was  the  two  Lipans  and  not  the  Co- 
manches  that  he  referred  to. 

"  Big  Knife  walk  along,"  said  Castro,  as  he 
came  nearer.     "  No  Comanche." 

"  I'd  like  to  give  'em  a  hit,"  growled  Bowie, 
"  but  this  isn't  the  time  for  it.  Come  on,  boys. 
We  mustn't  waste  a  minute." 

Even  now  he  seemed  perfectly  cool,  but  none 
of  the  other  Texans  failed  to  show  how  strongly 
the  "  hidden  treasure"  fever  had  taken  hold  of 
them.  It  grew  manifestly  hotter  after  they 
had  ridden  to  the  ruined  adobe  house,  dis- 
mounted, and  followed  their  leader  in.  It  was 
almost  impossible  to  believe  that  he  was  about 
to  show  them  anything  like  actual  gold  and 
silver. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say,"  said  Joe,  "  that 
such  a  feller  as  old  Tetzcatl  left  anything  be- 
hind him  up  here  ?" 


216      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

"No,  lie  didn't,"  replied  Bowie.  "This 
isn't  any  Montezuma  money.  My  notion  is 
that  it's  old  Spanish  funds.  If  so,  all  the 
more  does  it  of  right  belong  now  to  the  State 
of  Texas." 

"  Of  course  it  does !"  said  Cheyne,  and  the 
others  heartily  echoed  him. 

"Out  it  comes,  then!"  shouted  the  colonel, 
with  the  first  external  flash  of  the  excitement 
which  had  all  the  while  been  smouldering 
within  him.  "  You'll  see  what  it  is  now.  Von 
didn't  more'n  half  believe  me,  did  you  ?  Look 
at  that !" 

Over  rolled  the  adobe  fragments  which  con- 
cealed the  cash,  and  out  came  bag  after  bag, 
cast  down  with  a  chink  to  be  at  once  caught  up 
by  eager  hands  and  opened.  It  was  a  breath- 
less kind  of  work  to  make  those  bags  tell  what 
was  in  them. 

"  It's  a  pity  so  much  of  it's  only  silver,"  re- 
marked Jim,  regretfully  ;  "  but  silver's  better'n 
nothin'." 

"  Every  feller  wants  more  than  he's  got," 
said  Joe,  "  but  you'd  kinder  ought  to  be  satis- 
fied this  time." 

Bed  Wolf  and  his  father  had  looked  on  in 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    GOLD    HUNTERS.        217 

silence,  but  now  the  chief  beckoned  to  his  son 
and  walked  out. 

"Ugh!"  he  said.  "Red  Wolf  tell  story. 
Talk  Mexico.     Long  trail  ?     Heap  fight  ?" 

All  that  remained  to  be  told  of  the  trip  with 
Tetzcatl  came  out  rapidly,  until  the  mountain 
pass  was  reached  and  the  doings  in  the  cavern. 

"  Ugh  !"  sharply  exclaimed  Castro.  "  Shut 
mouth !  Montezuma  bad  medicine !  Texan 
all  die.  Big  Knife  go  under.  Red  Wolf? 
No!  Red" Wolf  Indian.  No  hurt  him. 
Lose  hair  if  he  talk." 

He  said  more,  but  his  entire  meaning  seemed 
to  be  that  it  was  a  well-understood  doctrine  that 
any  white  adventurer  learning  the  secrets  of 
the  Aztec  gods  was  a  doomed  man.  They 
would  surely  follow  him  up  and  kill  him.  It 
was  not  so  bad  for  a  full-blooded  Indian,  but 
even  a  Lipan  would  do  well  to  forget  anything 
he  had  heard  or  seen  that  belonged  to  the 
bloody  mysteries  of  the  evil  "  manitous"  of  the 
old  race.  It  was  evidently  a  deeply  rooted 
superstition,  and  Red  Wolf  was  quite  ready  to 
accept  it  fully.  They  returned  to  the  ruin  in 
time  to  hear  Bowie  remark, — 

"  Two  hundred  thousand,  pretty  nigh,  dollars 


218       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

and  doubloons.  Now,  boys,  a  thousand  apiece 
for  taking  it  in.  All  the  rest  goes  to  fight 
Santa  Anna." 

"  That's  the  talk !"  said  the  rangers,  and  the 
horses  were  led  up  to  receive  their  loads. 

It  was  not  very  easy  to  pack  the  ponderous 
stuff,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  all  the  blankets  on 
hand.  After  it  was  dune,  moreover,  another 
fact  was  evident. 

"  Boys,"  said  Joe,  "  it's  a  walk  for  us  all  the 
way  to  the  Alamo." 

"That  11  just  suit  the  critters,"  replied  the 
colonel.  "It's  all  the're  lit  tor.  But  we 
mustn't  fail  to  get  there.  I  kind  o'  feel  as  if 
Texas  was  getting  safer." 

They  were  themselves  by  no  means  safe  and 
it  was  time  to  go  forward.  The  horses  had 
picked  a  little  grass.  They  had  been  watered, 
and  so  had  the  feverish,  anxious  rangers,  but 
rest  for  either  was  not  to  be  thought  of. 

Slowly,  cautiously,  the  devious  avenues  of  the 
seemingly  endless  thickets  were  traversed,  and 
at  last  the  little  calvacade,  with  its  precious 
freight,  emerged  among  the  scattered  trees  on 
the  border  of  the  prairie. 

"'Tisn't  time   for  us  to  whistle   yet,"   said 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    GOLD    HUNTERS. 


219 


Bowie,  "even  if  we're  out  o'  the  woods. 
Hullo  !  Men  !  There  they  come  !  Forward  ! 
Double  lines.     Horses  outside." 

-Whoop!  Whoop!"  came  fiercely  from 
Castro  and  his  son. 

"  I  reckon  we've  been  watched  for  somehow," 
growled  Jim.  "  We'll  show  'em  a  good  fight 
for  the  pewter,  but  don't  I  wish  thar  was  more 

of  us  !" 

It  seemed  as  if  the  loads  of  dollars  added  to 
the  desperate  courage  of  the  men,  and  they 
made  ready  for  the  coming  fight  as  if  more 
than    their    own    lives    were    depending    upon 

it. 

The  horses  were  ranged  in  parallel  lines,  and 
the  riflemen  walked  on  in  the  space  between. 
It  was  a  kind  of  travelling  breastwork,  and  it 
must  have  had  a  dangerous  look  to  an  outsider. 
A  number  of  wild  horsemen,  therefore,  con- 
tented themselves,  for  the  present,  with  whoop- 
ing loudly  and  riding  around  at  safe  distances. 
There  were  a  great  many  of  them,  but  Castro 
declared  that  the  entire  force  under  Great  Bear 
had  not  made  its  appearance. 

"It  looks  bad  for  our  side,"  said  Bowie. 
"It's   a  long  time  since  any  Comanche  war- 


220   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

parties  have  ventured  in  as  far  as  they  have 
this  season.  Santa  Anna  was  quite  enough  for 
us  to  handle  without  the  redskins." 

He  hardly  knew,  at  that  moment,  how  dark 
a  cloud  seemed  to  he  hanging  over  Texas  in 
those  closing  days  of  the  winter  of  1835-1836. 
All  things  had  been  going  wrong.  There  were 
quarrels  among  leaders,  and  even  Houston  had 
lost,  apparently,  a  great  deal  of  his  popularity. 
As  Crockett  expressed  it, — 

"  The  cusses  expect  the  old  man  to  do  some 
things  that  can't  be  did." 

There  were  a  great  many  things  that  he  could 
not  do.  Nevertheless,  lie  worked  unceasingly. 
He  made  visits  of  inspection  here  and  there. 
He  made  speeches,  printed  patriotic  appeals  in 
the  newspapers,  and  argued  with  timid  or  dis- 
affected settlers. 

It  all  seemed  to  he  of  little  use.  The  Indians 
were  husy  on  the  borders.  Reports  of  the  feel- 
in^  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  were 
discouraging.  All  the  while,  moreover,  every 
arrival  from  south  of  the  Rio  Grande  told  of 
the  extensive  preparations  which  the  Mexican 
president  was  making  for  an  invasion.  He 
was  said  to  have  gathered  a  force  that  would 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    GOLD    HUNTERS.        221 

prove  overwhelming,  and  he  had  declared  death 
to  all  rebels. 

"If  we  don't  look  out,"  said  Crockett  to 
Travis  that  afternoon,  as  they  stood  together 
in  the  open  gate-way  of  the  Alamo,  "the 
Greasers  '11  catch  us  all  in  bed.  But  don't  I 
wish  I  knew  what  had  become  of  Bowie  and 

ho" 
is  men  : 

"  Thev  won't  fetch  back  any  gold,"  replied 
Travis  ;  "  but  I'd  like  to  see  them  if  they  rode 
in  as  bare  as  redskins." 

"  Colonel,"  exclaimed  Crockett,  "  give  me  a 
dozen  men  and  let  me  take  a  scout  over  the 
south  prairie.  I  might  have  some  kind  o'  luck. 
Might  knock  over  a  Comanche." 

"Let  you  have  'em?"  said  Travis,  with  sud- 
den energy.  "  Take  'em!  I'll  come  right 
along  with  you.  I'm  dog  tired  of  loafing  in 
this  coop.     Get  your  men." 

The  rangers  of  the  garrison  were  as  weary  of 
inaction  as  was  their  commander,  and  double 
the  number  called  for  almost  insisted  upon 
mounting  for  the  proposed  scout. 

"The  fort  '11  keep  till  we  git  back,"  re- 
marked Crockett ;  "  but  if  I  don't  git  out  of  it 
and  shoot  something  I  shall  spile." 


222       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

There  were  very  good  military  reasons  for 
precisely  such  an  errand  of  inquiry.  The 
vicinity  of  prowling  savages  was  pretty  well 
known,  and  it  was  desirable  to  learn  as  much 
more  as  possible. 

The  party  from  the  fort  rode  out,  therefore, 
and  they  were  well  upon  their  way,  but  they 
were  not  near  enough  to  hear  the  whoops  of 
Great  Bear's  warriors  aor  the  cracking  of  the 
first  rifles  which  replied. 

There  had  been  a  steady  onward  march  of 
Bowie's  men,  without  any  other  change  in  the 
situation  than  an  increase  in  the  number  of 
their  enemies. 

"Boys,"  the  colonel  said,  "we've  gained 
about  a  mile  and  a  half,  but  they're  closing  in 
on  us  a  little.  Let  'em  have  a  pill  first  chance 
you  get.     Halt !" 

There  they  stood,  their  rifles  levelled  across 
the  saddles.  It  was  hardly  worth  while  to 
waste  their  small  stock  of  powder  upon  swiftly 
careering  horsemen,  although  now  these  were 
frequently  within  range. 

"I'll  take  that  drove,"  exclaimed  Jim,  as 
several  of  the  whoopers  wheeled  into  a  closely 
gathered  group. 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  GOLD  HUNTERS.   223 

"  Got  hiin !"  he  shouted,  as  his  rifle  cracked. 

"  One  more,"  added  Bowie.  "  Hold  your 
fire,  men.  It  won't  do  to  have  too  many  guns 
empty  at  one  time." 

The  backs  of  two  mustangs  were  empty, 
however,  and  the  yells  which  followed  were 
those  of  angry  braves  who  had  been  stung  to 
rashness  rather  than  intimidated.  Of  course, 
they  all  wheeled  away  at  first,  taking  their 
dead  comrades  with  them. 

The  Texans  again  moved  steadily  forward, 
but  hardly  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  had 
been  gained  before  Bowie  shouted, — 

"  Here  they  are,  men  !  The  whole  band  has 
got  in  on  us  this  time.  They're  gathering  for 
a  rush.     Beady  !     Die  game  !" 

A  swarm, — a  cloud, — an  overwhelming  tor- 
rent of  the  fierce  cavalry  of  the  plains,  was 
forming  in  loose  but  effective  array  to  sweep  in 
upon  their  victims.  What  could  six  rifles  and 
two  bows  do  against  such  a  storm  as  was  now 
about  to  burst '! 

"Die  like  men!"  shouted  Bowie.  "Kill 
every  redskin  you  can  draw  a  bead  on  !" 

Crack,  crack,  went  rifle  after  rifle,  and  not 
a  shot  was  thrown  away ;  but  the  Comanches 


224       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

were  whooping  forward  upon  their  charge  and 
all  would  soon  be  over. 

"  Hullo  !    What's  that  ?"  shouted  the  colonel. 

"  Whoop  !"  yelled  Castro.     "  Rifle  !" 

"Ugh!"  said  Red  Wolf.  "Heap  Texan! 
Comanche  lose  hair!" 

Sharp,  rapid,  utterly  unexpected,  was  the 
rattle  of  rifle-shots  from  away  beyond  the 
cloud  of  pony  riders.  Down  went  horse  and 
man  in  quick  succession. 

"Travis  and  the  rangers!"  yelled  Jim 
Cheyne. 

"  The  boys  have  come !  Thank  God !" 
gasped  Bowie.  "  Five  minute-  more  and 
Houston  wouldn't  have  had  a  dollar  of  this 
stuff." 

Not  even  then  was  he  wasting  a  thought 
upon  his  own  life  or  upon  the  lives  of  those 
who  were  with  him. 

It  was  a  terrific  surprise  to  the  red  riders. 
They  were  smitten  as  by  lightning.  They 
could  have  no  idea  of  the  numbers  of  their 
new  assailants,  and  they  were  in  wholesome 
dread  of  the  markmanship  of  the  Texans. 
Well  they  might  be ! 

Wheeling  into  a  line  at  the  order  of  their 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  GOLD  HUXTERS.   225 

commander,  the  rangers  were  deliberately  pick- 
ing off  warrior  after  warrior  until  their  rifles 
were  empty. 

"  Forward  !     Charge  !"  shouted  Travis. 

"  Come  on,  fellers  !"  yelled  Crockett,  "  It's 
Bowie  and  the  boys  !     Don't  you  miss  a  shot," 

They  were  not  missing  so  long  as  any  hu- 
man target  was  within  pistol  range,  but  the 
targets  were  getting  away.  This  was  not  at 
all  what  they  had  counted  on.  They  fought 
for  a  moment,  of  course,  for  they  were  war- 
riors, and  their  flights  of  arrows  were  not  sent 
in  vain. 

Right  through  them  rode  the  rangers,  leav- 
ing three  of  their  number  on  the  grass,  while 
several  more  carried  with  them  well-aimed 
arrows. 

"  Hot  work,"  laughed  Travis,  "  but  here  we 
are  !     Bowie,  old  fellow  !     Hurrah  !" 

Away  wheeled  the  stricken  Comanches,  for 
the  rangers  were  reloading.  The  savage  rush 
was  over  and  the  next  business  was  to  get  out 
of  rifle  range. 

It  was  a  curious  spectacle.  There  stood 
Crockett,  the  rough  old  bear  hunter,  the  sar- 
castic humorist,  the  lank,  lantern-jawed  fron- 

15 


226   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MOXTEZUMAS. 

tiersman,  hugging  Colonel  Bowie.  It  almost 
seemed  as  if  he  were  crying. 

"  Hurrah  !"  he  shouted.  "  I  kind  o'  knowed 
they  hadn't  wiped  him  out." 

"  Crockett,  old  boy  !"  said  Travis.  "  Give 
him  a  chance  to  speak.  You  are  choking 
him." 

"Jest  what  I  want  to  do,"  said  Davy. 
"  Now,  Bowie,  whar  have  you  been  ?" 

"Let  go,  Crockett,"  said  Bowie,  "and  I'll 
tell  you.     But  some  of  the  men  are  hurt " 

"  The  boys  are  'tending  to  'em,"  replied 
Travis.     "  How  about  Tetzcatl  ?" 

"Not  a  word  of  him  now!"  burst  from 
Bowie,  vehemently.  "  Travis !  I've  found 
cash  enough  to  pay  for  all  the  ammunition  we 
need  to  whip  Mexico.  I'll  tell  you  as  we  go 
along.     Where's  Sam  Houston  ?" 

"  He's  to  be  at  the  fort  to-day,"  said  Crockett. 
"  But  whar  on  earth  did  you  pick  up  any 
dollars?" 

The  first  answer  was  Bowie's  finger  on  his 
lips.  Then  they  three  mounted  and  rode  on 
together. 

As  for  the  rest  of  the  rangers,  they  were 
indeed  caring  for  the  wounded,  and  even  for 


THE    RETURN    OF    THE    GOLD    HUNTERS.        227 

the  dead,  but  the  story  of  the  cash  found  in 
the  ruined  adobe  house  was  travelling  fast  from 
man  to  man. 

That  was  followed,  of  course,  by  an  account 
of  the  raid  into  Mexico  with  Tetzcatl,  but  that 
part  of  the  story  was  defective.  As  it  was 
related  it  did  not  contain  any  intimation  of  the 
mountain  pass,  the  cavern,  or  the  treasure  of 
the  Montezumas.  It  did  not,  and  yet  one 
ranger  after  another  said  to  the  man  next  him, 
in  varied  forms  of  speech, — 

"  Tell  you  what,  those  fellows  that  went  with 
Bowie  are  keeping  back  something.  They've 
learned  more  than  they're  willin'  to  tell.  We 
must  get  it  out  of  'em." 

As  for  Red  Wolf,  he  and  his  father  had 
been  lost  sight  of  for  a  few  minutes,  but  in  the 
last  part  of  that  close,  terrible  fight  they  had 
been  plying  their  bows  incessantly,  and  now 
they  were  out  on  the  prairie.  They  were 
Indians,  Lipans,  an  old  warrior  and  a  young 
brave,  and  they  were  following  the  custom  of 
their  race,  for  they  were  taking  trojriiies. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE   ARMY    OF    SANTA    ANNA. 

HOUSTON?  You  here?  I've  something 
to  show  you.     Hurrah  for  Texas !" 

The  commander-in-chief  had  been  sent  for 
days  earlier,  and  he  had  conic  in  haste,  for  a 
fast-riding  courier  had  brought  him  word  that 
Santa  Anna  and  his  army  were  already  across 
the  Rio  Grande. 

"  Bowie  !  Thank  God  !"  almost  roared  the 
old  hero,  springing  forward.  "Oh,  Bowie! 
I'd  begun  to  believe  you  were  dead." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it!"  shouted  back  Bowie. 
"I've  won  a  pot  of  money  for  our  side. 
Here  it  comes." 

A  train  of  horses  was  filing  through  the 
gate-way  of  the  Alamo.  They  were  not  the 
worn-out  animals  which  had  travelled  so  fast 
and  so  far,  for  Crockett  had  made  the  rangers 
give  up  as  many  quadrupeds  as  were  necessary 
for  the  wounded  men  and  the  money-packs. 
Three  horses,  indeed,  bore  sadder  burdens,  for 

228 


THE    ARMY    OF    SANTA    ANNA.  229 

the  dead  also  had  been  brought  in.  These  had 
halted  outside  the  walls  and  a  burial  party  was 
at  work. 

"  It  costs  us  something  to  win  freedom," 
was  the  sombre  comment  of  General  Houston. 
"  Many  another  brave  fellow  must  go  down 
before  we  clean  out  the  Greasers  and  the  red- 
skins. Now,  Bowie,  come  in  and  tell  me  what 
this  means." 

They  walked  on  into  an  inner  room  of  the 
fort,  but  not  even  to  Houston  did  Bowie  as  yet 
unfold  the  secret  of  the  cavern. 

"  Too  many  know  it  already,  or  half  know 
it,"  was  the  thought  he  did  not  put  into  words. 
He  told  all  about  the  Spanish  dollars  and 
doubloons,  however.  In  turning  them  over  to 
the  state,  less  the  small  sums  agreed  upon  as  the 
allowance  of  his  men,  he  stipulated  that  the  first 
use  made  of  any  money  should  be  for  provisions, 
powder  and  ball,  for  the  defence  of  the  Alamo. 

"  Houston,"  he  said,  with  emphasis,  "  my 
notion  is  that  it  can't  get  here  any  too  quick. 
Travis  is  wrong.  Santa  Anna  will  march 
straight  for  the  Alamo." 

"  He  may.  He  may,"  replied  the  general. 
"  At  all  events,  I  must  set  out  with  the  cash. 


230      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

I  must  send  you  all  the  help  I  can  right  away. 
Then  I  must  raise  troops  and  march  to  meet 
the  Mexicans.  It's  a  blue  time  for  Texas,  but 
this  is  a  ray  of  light." 

It  was  only  one  ray,  for  in  all  other  direc- 
tions the  prospect  seemed  dark.  His  own  prep- 
arations for  departure  were  made  at  once,  and 
in  the  gloom  of  that  very  evening  he  rode  away. 

"  We  must  go  all  night,"  lie  said,  "  and  not 
a  soul  outside  the  fort  must  know  what  we're 
taking  with  us." 

About  an  hour  later,  eleven  men  sat  together 
in  the  upper  corner  room  of  the  convent  build- 
ing, and  every  man  of  them  bound  by  an  oath 
and  by  his  word  of  honor  to  keep  secret  all  he 
might  hear. 

"  Boys,"  said  Bowie  to  his  own  men,  "  if 
Travis  and  Crockett  are  let  in  and  no  more, 
the  secret  is  just  as  safe.  I  don't  feel  as  if  they 
were  outsiders." 

"Just  the  same  as  ourselves,"  replied  Jim 
Cheyne.  "  They're  to  help  us  git  up  the  ex- 
pedition. But  what  about  the  gold  bars  we 
fetched  this  time?  They'd  tell  it  all  if  we 
showed  'em  now." 

"  Keep  'em  for  expenses  when  we  are  ready 


THE    ARMY    OF    SANTA    ANNA.  231 

for  business,"  said  Bowie.  "  I  didn't  say  a  word 
of  them  to  Houston.  We  can  hole  them  right 
here  in  the  corner  of  this  room.    Safe  as  a  bank." 

"  And  if  Santa  Anna  captures  the  fort,  what 
then  ?"  asked  Joe. 

"  Nobody  '11  ever  hear  of  any  gold  he  got 
here,"  replied  Bowie,  grimly.  "  If  one  of  his 
men  found  it,  he'd  take  it  away  from  him  and 
have  him  shot  for  desertion." 

The  bars  belonging  to  the  men  were  brought, 
and  they  made  only  a  small  pile,  after  all,  when 
packed  in  a  corner,  under  the  couch,  with  old 
saddles  stuffed  in  front  of  them.  Red  Wolf's 
prizes,  of  course,  were  not  included. 

"Ugh!"  said  Castro,  after  watching  the 
operation.  "  Big  Knife  kill  Travis.  Kill 
Crockett.  No  kill  all  Texan.  Heap  shut 
mouth.     Montezuma  talk,  all  bad  medicine." 

"All  right,  Castro,"  said  Bowie.  "When 
my  time  comes  I  shall  die." 

"  What  does  he  mean  ?"  asked  Travis. 

"You  couldn't  root  it  out  of  him,"  said 
Bowie.  "He  believes  that  every  white  man 
who  meddles  with  this  stuff  is  bound  to  go 
under.     It's  poison." 

"  Out  with  your  yarn,  then,"  said  Crockett. 


232   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MOXTEZUMAS. 

"  I'll  take  my  chances.  You  kin  name  the 
day  for  my  funeral." 

Steadily,  from  Btep  to  step,  the  colonel  told 
the  story  of  his  raid  into  Mexico.  Not  a  word 
was  uttered  by  anybody  else  until  he  came  to 
the  description  of  the  cavern. 

"Ugh!"  exclaim. -.1  Castro.  "Heap  had 
medicine.  Now  Travis  go  under.  Crockett 
lose  hair." 

He  evidently  did  not  wish  to  hear  any  more 
himself,  but  curiosity  is  a  Btrong  tether,  and, 
after  all,  he  was  an  Indian,  and  upon  him  the 
mysterious  peril  might  not  have  so  much  power. 
Red  Wolf  knew  the  secrel  already,  and  nothing 
evil  had  as  yel  happened  to  him.  The  chief 
remained,  therefore,  in  silence,  while  Bowie  told 
of  the  human  sacrifices,  the  fate  of  Tetzcatl,  and 
the  heaps  of  ingots,  tons  and  tons  of  them. 

"Go  for  it?"  shouted  Travis.  "Of  course 
we  will.  As  soon  as  we've  beaten  the  Greasers 
I'll  raise  the  men  that  can  ride  across  Mexico 
to  get  the  stuff  out  of  that  cave.  It's  a  wonder- 
ful thing  to  know,  but  when  you  come  to  think 
of  it,  it's  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world. 
Montezuma  and  Guatamoczin  did  exactly  what 
you  and  I  would  have  done,  both  before  Cortez 


THE    ARMY    OF    SANTA    ANNA.  233 

came  and  afterwards.  We  wouldn't  have  given 
it  up  neither,  and  they  didn't." 

"  Thar's  heaps  of  human  natur'  in  this 
world,"  remarked  Crockett.  "  I'd  ha'  bet 
they'd  ha'  done  just  exactly  what  they  did  do. 
There's  nothing  curious  about  it." 

"  No  more  there  is  about  their  idols,"  added 
Travis.  "  They  kept  them  just  as  all  the  other 
heathen  do  in  Asia  and  Africa.  Hundreds  of 
millions  of  idol-worshippers  go  it  right  along, 
with  the  missionaries  among  'em.  They  kill 
the  missionaries,  too,  now  and  then.  Some  eat 
'em,  and  these  fellows  cut  their  throats  and 
pitch  'em  into  a  hole." 

It  seemed  as  if  every  trace  of  anything 
mysterious  or  improbable  departed  from  the 
old  legend  of  the  Aztec  gold  and  silver  the 
moment  the  truth  concerning  it  came  out  to  be 
studied  by  such  matter-of-fact  men  as  these. 
Their  hard  common  sense  took  it  like  any  other 
business  affair,  and  they  were  almost  ready  to 
name  beforehand  the  men  they  meant  to  take 
with  them  on  the  expedition  they  planned  to 
secure  the  treasure. 

After  telling  the  stor}',  however,  Bowie  grew 
silent   and    moody.      He    looked    around    him 


234       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

upon  the  bare  walls  of  the  room.  He  passed 
a  hand  over  the  low  couch  upon  which  he  was 
sitting.  He  hardly  seemed  to  listen  to  what  the 
others  were  saying.  When  at  last  there  was 
a  pause  and  a  silence,  he  arose  to  his  feet,  and 
a  shadow,  darker  than  usual,  was  on  his  face. 

"Travis,"  he  said,  "  I  want  to  get  out  of  this 
room.  It's  close  and  hot.  I  somehow  don't 
like  it.  It  keeps  me  thinking  of  Tetzcatl,  too, 
and  of  all  he  said  when  we  talked  with  him 
here.  He  was  a  kind  of  devil,  he  was.  I'm 
glad  he  went  down  into  that  chasm.  If  it's 
good  and  deep  he  '11  stay  there." 

He  strode  rapidly  out  of  the  room,  and  they 
heard  Castro  mutter, — 

"  Bisr  Knife  too  much  talk.  Montezuma  talk 
bad  medicine.     All  lose  hair.     Ugh  !" 

Red  Wolf  had  listened  but  he  had  said  noth- 
ing, for  nothing  was  left  him  to  tell.  He  was 
a  proud  young  brave,  however,  for  the  Big 
Knife,  the  great  white  chief,  had  praised  him 
tremendously,  and  his  own  father  had  more 
than  once  said,  "  Heap  young  brave." 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Castro,  laying  a  hand  upon  the 
arm  of  his  son  ;  and  they  arose  and  followed 
Bowie  until  they  stood  with  him  in  the  plaza. 


THE   ARMY   OF   SANTA    AOTTA.  235 

"  Well,  Castro  ?"  asked  Bowie.    "  What  is  it  ?" 

"  Want  horse,"  said  the  Lipan  chief.  "  Good 
pony.  Ride  heap.  See  Mexican.  Come  tell 
Bowie.     Sleep  now.     Go  before  sun." 

"  Bully  !"  exclaimed  Bowie.  "  I'll  give  you 
the  best  critters  in  the  fort.  I  want  to  know 
just  where  Santa  Anna  is.  What  you  two 
want  first,  though,  is  to  sleep  about  ten  hours 
and  eat  all  you  can  hold." 

Castro  meant  just  that,  for  even  the  tough 
sinews  of  a  Lipan  warrior  could  feel  the  strain 
they  had  borne.  Away  he  went  with  Bed 
Wolf,  and  now  the  colonel's  face  grew  brighter, 
for  half  the  garrison  was  gathering  around  him. 

"  I  can't  talk  much  now,  boys,"  he  said. 
"  You  know  about  all  there  is  to  tell,  but  I'll 
add  one  thing." 

He  pointed  westward  in  silence  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  his  eyes  wore  almost  a  dreamy  look 
as  he  went  on  : 

"  All  that  land,  clean  through  to  the  Pacific, 
must  belong  to  Texas.  Somewhere  in  yonder 
among  the  mountains,  in  the  rocks  and  in  the 
gullies,  there  is  more  gold  and  more  silver  than 
the  world  has  ever  yet  heard  of.  The  new 
Gulf  republic  must  take  in  Xew  Mexico,  and 


236       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Arizona,  and  California,  and  it  will  become  the 
treasure-house  of  all  the  time  to  come.  We  are 
poor  now,  but  we  shall  be  the  richest  people 
on  earth.  Only  we  must  understand  one  thing 
at  the  outset.  Gold  is  like  freedom.  Every 
pound  of  it  that  was  ever  won  was  somehow 
paid  for  in  blood.  I'm  ready  to  give  mine, 
right  here,  if  I'm  called  for.  Now  I'm  going 
in  for  a  hammock.     I'm  dean  used  up." 

It  was  past  the  middle  of  February,  in  the 
year  1836.  The  weather  had  been  stormy,  but 
was  now  better,  bearing  few  traces  of  winter 
as  it  is  in  more  northerly  Latitudes.  It  was  a 
season  of  the  year  that  could  be  expected  to 
favor  military  movements,  but  the  Mexican 
commander  had  been  disappointed  and  seriously 
delayed  during  all  the  earlier  part  of  his  in- 
vasion. The  rains  and  mud  had  been  in  the 
way  of  heavy  provision-trains  and  artillery. 

A  little  after  sunrise  on  the  morning  after 
the  arrival  of  the  returning  raiders,  the  sentry 
relieved  at  the  Alamo  gate-way  reported  the  de- 
parture, an  hour  earlier,  of  Castro  and  his  son. 

"Gone  on  a  scout,"  said  Travis.  "Hope 
they'll  have  good  luck.  We  don't  know  half 
enough  just  now." 


THE    ARMY    OF    SAXTA    AXXA.  237 

All  that  day  was  spent  by  the  small  garrison 
of  the  fort  in  what  they  called  getting  ready  for 
a  better  state  of  things.  They  expected  re- 
inforcements and  supplies,  but  Crockett  and 
Bowie,  rather  than  even  Travis,  insisted  upon 
putting  all  they  had  in  the  best  possible  order. 
A  strict  account  of  rations  was  taken.  Cannon 
were  carefully  cleaned,  and  most  of  them  needed 
it.  Every  weapon,  large  or  small,  was  brought 
out  for  inspection  or  repairs.  Every  ounce  of 
powder  was  measured  as  if  it  were  gold.  At 
least  a  dozen  men  were  kept  at  work  moulding 
bullets,  and  for  this  purpose  a  number  of 
leaden  filigree  ornaments  were  taken  from  the 
window  casings  of  the  old  church. 

"  Best  that  can  be  did  with  'em,"  remarked 
Crockett.  "  Church  lead  is  as  good  as  any 
other  to  kill  Greasers  with." 

The  supply  of  water  was  sure,  for  the  Span- 
ish builders  had  constructed  aqueducts  which 
brought  an  abundance,  like  springs  within  the 
walls. 

The  men  were  in  high  spirits  over  their  work, 
and  even  Colonel  Bowie  lost  some  of  the  gloom 
which  had  been  upon  his  face. 

"  Crockett,"  he  remarked,  however,  "  I  hope 


238   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

Houston  '11  make  good  time.  We  shan't  be 
ready  for  Santa  Anna  an  hour  too  soon." 

"  Travis  hardly  believes  he's  comin',"  replied 
Crockett.  "  He  reckons  the  old  monte-player 
will  strike  for  the  middle  of  the  State  and  the 
coast  towns." 

"  Not  and  leave  the  Alamo  behind  him,"  said 
Bowie.  "  We'll  have  the  first  light  right  here, 
and  it  '11  be  a  hard  one." 

So  they  talked  and  worked,  and  the  day 
passed  and  another  night  came  and  went.  It 
was  a  little  after  the  middle  of  the  next  day 
that  a  brace  of  mustangs  were  reined  in  upon 
the  brow  of  a  low  hill  looking  southward. 

"  Ugh  !"  exclaimed  one  of  them.  "  Red 
Wolf  heap  look.     Santa  Anna  come  !" 

The  younger  rider  was  silent,  but  he  was 
looking.  For  the  first  time  in  their  lives  they 
had  seen  an  army.  The  southerly  prairie  was 
nearly  level,  traversed  along  its  farther  border 
by  a  winding  stream  of  water.  On  this  side 
of  the  stream,  in  long  lines,  in  columns  and  in 
detachments,  marched  several  regiments  of  in- 
fantry attended  by  batteries  of  light  artillery. 
On  their  flanks  and  in  the  advance  rode  strong 
bodies  of  lancers.     There  were  flags  and  pen- 


THE    ARMY    OF    SANTA    ANNA.  239 

nons,  and  the  serried  bayonets  wore  a  warlike 
look.     There  were  even  bands  of  music. 

"Heap  Mexican!"  exclaimed  Red  Wolf. 
"  Tell  Big  Knife." 

"  Alamo  men  all  die,"  replied  Castro. 

He  did  not  move,  however,  during  several 
minutes,  for  the  bugles  of  the  lancers  and  the 
shouted  orders  of  the  infantry  commanders  had 
called  a  halt.  Very  shortly  there  were  suffi- 
cient indications  that  the  invading  force  had 
marched  far  enough  for  that  day  and  that  it 
was  now  going  into  camp. 

It  was  by  no  means  a  perfectly  organized 
army,  and  there  was  a  sad  lack  of  precision  in 
its  movements,  but  its  dispositions  for  camping 
were  tolerably  well  made.  Tents  were  put  up  for 
officers,  but  the  rank  and  file  were  expected,  evi- 
dently, to  bivouac.  There  would  be  little  hard- 
ship in  that,  but  if  the  Lipan  scouts  had  been 
able  to  make  a  closer  inspection,  they  might  have 
noted  that  the  entire  array  of  over  five  thousand 
men  wore  a  hard-travelled,  worn-out  appear- 
ance, as  if  they  had  been  pushed  and  as  if  it  were 
really  about  time  that  they  should  have  a  rest. 

There  were  clumps  of  trees  on  the  prairie. 
Wood  could  be  cut  and  fires  could  be  made, 


240       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

but  before  the  first  smoke  began  to  rise  Castro 
wheeled  his  horse. 

"  Ugh  !"  he  said.  "  Ride  now.  Kill  pony. 
Comanche  no  come." 

He  had  been  staring  at  point  after  point  to 
discover  if  any  of  his  old  enemies  were  act- 
ing with  the  Mexicans.  If  they  were,  none  of 
them  could  as  yet  be  seen  among  the  troops  of 
Santa  Anna. 

He  and  his  son  disappeared  over  the  rolls  of 
the  prairie,  and,  unless  they  should  he  inter- 
cepted, there  would  be  news  for  the  garrison 
of  the  Alamo. 

Not  in  the  centre  of  the  Mexican  camp,  but 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  a  large  and  nearly 
new  marquee  tent  had  been  put  up  as  the  first 
order  for  a  halt  was  given.  At  a  little  distance  a 
fire  had  been  quickly  kindled  and  cooking  was 
already  going  on.  In  front  of  the  tent  stood  a 
group  of  officers  and  they  were  chatting  merrily. 

"We  will  crush  the  Alamo  like  an  egg- 
shell," asserted  one  of  them. 

"  It  will  surrender  at  discretion  on  our 
arrival,"  added  another. 

"  Travis  will  never  be  so  foolhardy  as  to  re- 
sist an  overwhelming  force,"  remarked  a  third ; 


THE    ARMY    OF    SANTA    AXXA.  241 

but  he  added  to  the  dark-faced  man  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  group,  "  General,  what  are  we  to  do 
after  dinner  ?     I'm  tired  of  inspecting." 

"  So  are  the  men,"  responded  the  general. 
"  I  think  we  shall  have  something  better.  We 
can  empty  a  coop." 

He  pointed  as  he  spoke  at  a  spot  of  ground 
fifty  yards  from  the  tent,  at  the  right,  where 
several  ragged  peons  were  at  work  with  stakes 
and  cord.  They  were  already  constructing  a 
cockpit,  for  the  Mexican  commander  did  not 
propose  to  let  so  small  a  matter  as  the  conquest 
of  Texas  deprive  him  of  his  favorite  amusement. 
Moreover,  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  beyond 
the  cockpit,  were  drawn  up  two  large  wagons, 
and  each  of  these  was  almost  over-piled  with 
wicker  coops,  the  occupants  of  which  were 
from  time  to  time  crowing  defiantly  at  each 
other.  If  the  army  was  to  rest  there  while  the 
Texans  were  getting  ready  to  receive  it,  more 
than  one  of  the  coops  might  possibly  be  emptied 
by  the  proposed  combats  of  the  gallant  poultry. 

Meantime,  the  disposition  of  battalions,  regi- 
ments, and  batteries  was  left  haphazard  to  sub- 
ordinates who  had  no  fowls  to  think  of,  and  the 
general  and  his  brilliant  staff  went  in  to  dinner. 

16 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE    FIRST    SHOT. 

FOUR  days  went  by.  All  the  space  inside 
the  walls  of  the  fort  had  a  clean  and 
tidy  look.  The  soldiers  of  the  garrison  went 
hither  and  thither  with  an  air  of  being  under 
more  than  usual  drill,  but  their  varied  uni- 
forms were  about  the  same  as  ever.  A  light 
rain  was  falling  and  the  skies  overhead  were 
heavy  with  clouds,  as  if  a  storm  were  coming. 

A  shout  was  heard  outside  the  gate,  and  then 
its  massive  oaken  portal  swung  wide  open, 
while  Colonel  Travis  stood  by  the  six-pounder, 
his  handsome  face  bright  with  expectation. 

"  Boys !"  he  shouted,  "  the  supplies  have 
come !" 

Nearing  the  gate-way  was  a  train  of  large 
wagons,  and  on  either  side  and  in  the  rear  of 
them  rode  mounted  riflemen. 

"  Reinforcements,  too  !"  exclaimed  Crockett, 
as  he  strode  forward  to  the  side  of  Travis. 

Colonel  Bowie  was  already  out  beyond  the 

242 


THE    FIRST    SHOT.  243 

wall,  scrutinizing  the  approaching  train  and  its 
guard. 

"  Not  a  quarter  as  many  men  as  we  needed," 
he  remarked,  in  a  low,  foreboding  tone.  "I 
hope  there  are  more  coming." 

On  rolled  the  wagons,  while  cheer  after 
cheer  went  up  from  the  garrison,  to  be  answered 
as  heartily  by  the  new  arrivals. 

"Keep  right  on,"  shouted  Travis  to  the 
drivers.     "  Halt  in  front  of  the  church." 

The  last  pair  of  wheels  was  in  the  gate-way 
when  galloping  past  them  came  a  half-naked 
rider. 

"Whoop!"  he  yelled.  "Red  Wolf  want 
Big  Knife.  Castro  horse  dead.  Santa  Anna 
come !" 

"All  right!"  called  out  Travis.  "Come 
this  way.  Bowie,  bring  him  in.  Men,  go  on 
unloading.     Tally  all  there  is." 

Down  from  his  panting  pony  dropped  the 
young  Lipan,  and  his  eager  report  required  few 
questions  to  make  it  clear.  Either  his  father 
had  not  been  so  well  mounted  or  else  he  had 
been  too  heavy  a  weight  for  a  long  race.  His 
horse  had  given  out  entirely  a  few  miles  from 
the  fort,  and  Red  Wolf  had  ridden  on  alone. 


244   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMA8. 

All  the  officers  of  the  rangers  had  gathered  to 
hear,  and  when  the  report  was  completed  they 
looked  at  each  other  with  serious  faces. 

"It's  just  about  as  we  expected,  after  all," 
said  Travis.  k4  I'm  glad  there  are  no  Comanches 
with  them.  If  Castro  is  right,  there  are  over 
five  thousand  of  them.  A  thousand  more  or 
less  won't  make  much  difference.  They're 
about  four  days'  march  from  us,  I  should  say, 
but  the  lancers  could  get  here  sooner.  Most 
likely  they  will." 

A  rugged-looking  ranger  stood  before  him, 
touching  a  ragged  hat-brim. 

""Well,  Sergeant  Daly,"  said  Travis,  "how 
do  you  find  the  cargo  ?" 

"  Bully,  far  as  it  goes !"  responded  the  ser- 
geant. 44 1  reckon  it  gives  us  rations  for  about 
two  weeks.  Pretty  good  lot  of  rifle  powder. 
Not  so  much  cannon  powder  and  grape-shot  as 
we'd  ought  to  have.  Xo  solid  shot  to  speak 
of,  but  there's  some.  Forty  spare  rifles,  and 
I  wish  we  had  men  for  'em.  But  these  yer 
new  men  are  all  prime  fellers,  and  we  can 
foot  up  one  hundred  and  forty  good  shots,  all 
told." 

"  We  ought  to  have  at  least  three  times  as 


THE    FIRST    SHOT.  245 

many,"  said  Travis.  "  Every  man  is  worth  his 
weight  in  gold  just  now." 

"  The  trouble  is,"  remarked  Bowie,  "  Hou- 
ston hasn't  had  time  yet  to  use  those  Spanish 
dollars.  He  will,  though.  What  we  must  do 
is  to  try  and  hold  the  fort  till  Austin's  riflemen 
get  here.  Every  day  '11  count.  Santa  Anna 
is  a  slow  marcher." 

"  You're  mistaken  thar,"  exclaimed  Crockett. 
"  If  his  Greasers  could  fight  as  well  as  they 
kin  walk,  we'd  be  gone  up  sure !" 

The  next  duties  related  to  the  unloading  of 
the  wagons  and  to  all  the  information  that 
could  be  obtained  from  the  new  men.  Even 
while  Travis  was  talking  with  them,  however, 
an  hour  or  so  later,  a  hand  touched  his  arm, 
and  he  turned  to  look  into  the  face  of  Castro. 

"What  is  it,  chief?"  he  asked. 

"  Close  gate,"  said  Castro.  "  Load  big  gun. 
Lancer  !     Bring  pony  in." 

"  They  mean  to  make  a  dash  for  our  corral, 
do  they  ?"  replied  Travis,  and  orders  for  the 
care  of  the  horses  of  the  garrison  went  out  at 
once. 

It  would  not  do  to  lose  them  all  just  now, 
and  they,  at  least,  would  have  abundant  rations 


246      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

within  the  enclosure.  One  of  the  best  of  them 
was  turned  over  to  Castro  in  place  of  his  used- 
up  pony,  and  another  as  good  was  given  to  Red 
Wolf.   ' 

While  this  was  going  on,  Bowie  had  been 
busy  with  the  spare  rifles  that  had  just  arrived, 
and  now  he  made  his  appearance,  carrying  two 
weapons  that  were  more  ornamental  than  the 
rest,  for  both  were  silver  mounted. 

"Travis,"  he  said,  "this  is  for  the  chief,  and 
this  is  the  one  I  promised  lied  Wolf." 

"They've  earned  'em,"  exclaimed  Crockett. 
"Give  'em  a  first-rate  outfit.  Hope  they'll 
kill  a  grist  of  Greaser.-.*' 

Colonel  Travis  himself  } (resented  the  rifles, 
but  his  words  were  few.  Castro  took  his  own 
and  examined  it  all  over. 

"Ugh!"  he  said.  "Heap  shoot.  Travis 
kill  Mexican  with  big  gun.  Red  AVolf  take 
rifle.     Come !" 

Red  Wolf's  eyes  had  been  glittering  with 
delight.  Never  before  had  he  heard  of  an 
Indian  boy  of  his  age  owning  a  really  first- 
class  rifle  with  all  its  accoutrements  of  wiping- 
stick,  ramrod,  powder-horn,  and  bullet-pouch. 
Those  were  the  days  of  flintlocks,  and  the  long- 


THE    FIRST    SHOT.  247 

barrelled  shooting-irons  did  not  need  any  "  cap- 
box"  to  go  with  them. 

He  was  hardly  expected  to  say  much,  but  he 
made  out  to  tell  the  colonel, — 

"  Red  Wolf  shoot  a  heap.  Mexican  lose 
hair.     Wipe  out  Comanche." 

As  he  finished  speaking,  however,  Bowie 
himself  laid  a  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Red  Wolf  go  with  his  father  now,"  he 
said.  "  Come  back  to  Big  Knife.  Chief,  let 
him  come  as  soon  as  you  can." 

He  had  understood  a  sentence  that  Castro 
had  uttered  in  his  own  tongue  with  its  ac- 
companying "sign." 

"  Chief  send  boy,"  replied  Castro.  "Go 
now.     Travis  fight  a  heaj)." 

The  two  Lipans  were  upon  the  backs  of  their 
fresh  mustangs  the  next  minute,  and  they 
rode  out  of  the  gate  as  if  some  errand  of  impor- 
tance hurried  them. 

"  Reckon  they  think  we've  got  our  work  cut 
out  for  us,"  said  Crockett. 

"  They've  seen  the  Mexican  army,"  replied 
Bowie,  "  and  they  know  just  what's  coming. 
So  do  we,  but  we  mustn't  say  anything  to  dis* 
courage  the  men." 


248   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

A  watcher  at  a  loop-hole  saw  Castro  and 
Red  Wolf  wheel  around  the  corner  of  the  wall 
and  gallop  westward,  but  before  he  could  report 
the  direction  they  had  taken  the  garrison  was 
startled  by  the  roar  of  a  cannon  from  one  of  the 
southern  embrasures.  There  had  been  a  reason 
for  the  course  taken  by  the  Lipans. 

"  Who  fired  that  gun  ?"  shouted  Travis, 
angrily.     "  Who  tired  without  orders?" 

"I  did,"  came  promptly  back  from  Sergeant 
Daly.  "I  had  the  best  kind  of  a  bead  on  that 
crowd  of  lancers.  It  was  only  a  four-pound 
shot,  but  it  ploughed  right  into  'em." 

"  Not  another  charge  is  to  be  wasted,"  replied 
Travis.  "We  need  every  kernel.  We  were 
none  too  quick  about  the  corral,  though." 

"Travis,"  said  Bowie,  quietly,  "our  time's 
about  come.  Houston  must  -end  us  more  men 
or  we  can't  so  much  as  man  the  walls." 

It  was  a  matter  of  course  that  a  strong  body 
of  cavalry  had  been  sent  on  in  advance  of  the 
invading  army.  No  doubt  there  had  been  an 
idea  of  striking  the  rebellious  Texans  at  every 
possible  point.  The  lancers,  however,  had  not 
met  with  anything  to  strike  at,  and  all  they  now 
could   do,  apparently,  wTas   to  reconnoitre    the 


THE    FIRST    SHOT.  249 

fort.  It  was  in  a  spirit  of  entirely  empty 
bravado  that  they  had  approached  so  near 
or  else  they  had  forgotten  that  the  Alamo 
had  any  artillery.  They  had  at  last  halted, 
while  their  commander  deliberately  scanned 
the  post  and  its  surroundings  through  his 
field-glass. 

Bang !  went  the  four-pounder,  and  Daley's 
aim  had  been  first-rate. 

"  Caramba  !"  roared  the  colonel.  "  My 
baggage  mule  !  My  equipments  !  Santa  Ma- 
ria !     My  cigarettes !" 

Over  went  a  fine  mule,  certainly,  as  the  four 
pounds  of  iron  arrived,  but  not  because  of  any- 
thing that  prevented  him  from  getting  up  at 
once  and  braying.  Upon  his  patient  back, 
rising  above  the  panniers  that  adorned  his 
flanks,  had  been  a  load  more  large  than  heavy. 
It  was  this  hump  of  varied  luxury  and  useful- 
ness into  which  the  sergeant's  wasteful  shot 
had  ploughed. 

Mexico  had  not  lost  even  so  much  as  a  mule, 
but  the  ground  was  strewn  with  cigarettes  and 
other  merchandise,  and  the  lancer  force  had 
been  warned  that  they  were  in  front  of  a  bat- 
tery. 


250       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

"  Fellow-citizens  !"  shouted  the  angry  officer. 
"  Heroes  of  Mexico  !  Yonder  is  the  Alamo  ! 
In  a  few  days  we  will  ride  into  it  and  teach  the 
Gringo  rebels  a  lesson  they  will  remember. 
Forward,  right  wheel !     Gallop  !" 

Gallop  they  did,  but  Travis's  order  to  save 
ammunition  had  already  put  them  entirely  out 
of  danger. 

Miles  away  to  the  westward  rode  Castro  and 
his  son,  but  the  chief  had  now  gone  far  enough 
for  the  purpose  which  had  taken  him  away 
from  the  fort.  He  drew  his  rein  and  Red 
Wolf  imitated  him. 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Castro,  holding  out  a  hand. 
"  Rifle!" 

The  splendid  present  was  handed  over,  but 
other  commands  followed,  and  the  young  war- 
rior was  stripped  of  his  bow  and  arrows,  his 
lance  and  his  pistols.  His  only  remaining 
weapon  was  the  knife  in  his  belt.  There  was 
not  a  shadow  of  disobedience,  not  even  of  dis- 
satisfaction, upon  his  face,  but  he  was  evidently 
waiting  for  an  explanation. 

"Red  Wolf  no  lose  rifle,"  said  Castro,  at 
last.  "  Great  chief  take  it  to  lodge.  Hide  it 
with  tribe." 


THE    FIKST    SHOT.  251 

"  Ugh  ?"  said  Red  Wolf,  but  lie  knew  there 
was  something  more  to  come. 

"  Xo  bad  medicine,"  said  Castro,  holding  out 
his  hand  again. 

The  three  gold  bars  allotted  to  Red  Wolf 
were  tightly  secured  to  his  saddle.  They  were 
now  untied  and  handed  over.  The  chief 
dropped  from  his  pony  and  walked  to  the 
nearest  oak,  one  of  three  by  which  they  had 
halted.  He  took  out  his  knife,  dug  a  pretty 
deep  hole,  and  dropped  the  precious  but  dan- 
gerous prizes  into  it. 

Red  Wolf  had  followed  him  in  silence,  and 
now,  when  the  earth  and  sods  were  replaced, 
Castro  stood  erect  and  pointed  at  the  spot  under 
which  lay  the  gold. 

"  All  Texan  lose  hair,"  he  said.  "  Red 
Wolf  hide  bad  medicine.  Find  some  day ! 
Die  then.     Montezuma  wicked  manitou." 

"  Ugh  !"  exclaimed  Red  Wolf. 

Nevertheless,  a  deep  "  sign"  was  cut  upon 
the  oak-tree  before  they  remounted.  Then  the 
chief  went  on  to  explain  to  his  son  the  further 
duties  required  of  him. 

It  did  not  take  a  great  many  words,  but  the 
meaning  of  it  all  was  simple. 


252       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

The  Mexicans  and  the  Lipans  were  now  nom- 
inally at  peace.  Any  Lipan  was  fairly  safe 
among  them,  unless  he  should  seem  to  be  on  a 
war-path  against  them.  At  the  same  time, 
Mexican  cavalry  would  surely  disarm  a  mere 
boy, — that  is,  they  would  steal  his  rifle,  even 
if  they  then  should  let  him  go  unharmed. 

So  far,  so  good,  but  Castro  raised  his  arm 
and  pointed  eastward. 

"  Boy  hear  !"  he  said.  "  Travifl  send  Texan 
to  friend?  Mexican  catch  ranger.  Shoot 
him.  No  catch  Red  Wolf.  (  to!  Ride  hard  ! 
Tell  great  Texan  chief  Santa  Anna  here!  Say 
he  camp  around  Alamo.  Say  Travis  want 
more  Texan.     Ugh  !     ( J<> I" 

It  was  an  errand  of  importance,  therefore. 
It  was  worthy  of  a  warrior.  It  was  a  message 
of  life  and  death,  but  it  called  for  cunning, 
caution,  hard  riding,  rather  than  for  sharp- 
shooting.  A  few  further  instructions  as  to 
where  to  go  and  whom  to  find  were  all  that 
was  needed,  and  away  went  the  ready  messen- 
ger. 

Castro  himself  rode  away,  laden  with  the 
precious  shooting-irons.  He  too  had  need  for 
caution  and  for  cunning  if  he  was  ever  to  re- 


THE    FIRST    SHOT.  253 

join  his  tribe,  but  Red  Wolf,  riding  northward 
now,  was  saying  to  himself, — 

"  Ugh  !  Heap  young  brave.  Bring  Texan 
to  Big  Knife.     Heap  fight  Mexican." 

He  may  have  been  perfectly  aware  that 
Colonel  Travis  was  the  white  chief  who  was  in 
actual  command  of  the  rangers  and  the  fort. 
To  his  mind,  however,  the  Texan  armies,  if  not 
the  republic  itself,  were  best  represented  by  the 
stalwart  hand-to-hand  fighter  who  had  given 
him  the  knife  which  he  now  s<>  carefully  con- 
cealed under  his  buck-kins.  Having  done  so, 
he  transferred  his  old,  half-despised  butcher- 
knife  fmm  his  le^gin^s  to  his  belt,  and  re- 
marked  concerning  it,  "  Mexican  take  ?  Ugh  ! 
No  lose  heap  knife.     Take  Mexican  hair." 

There  was  a  menacing  look  in  his  face,  and 
he  rode  on  with  the  air  of  an  adventurer  who 
was  quite  ready  for  mischief,  if  a  chance  for 
any  should  be  given  him. 

The  region  of  country  he  was  to  go  through 
was  supposed  to  be  peaceable,  as  yet.  It  con- 
tained only  scattered  ranches  and  small  settle- 
ments, but  it  might  speedily  contain  almost 
anything  else,  for  j)erils  of  all  sorts  were  pour- 
ing in  upon  the  Texas  border. 


254       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUilAS. 

Matters  at  the  fort  were  quiet,  but  the  rangers 
in  their  quarters,  even  while  running  bullets, 
and  the  officers  in  their  hammocks,  not  one  of 
them  asleep,  seemed  to  have  constituted  them- 
selves a  kind  of  general  council  of  war.  At 
least  they  were  discussing  every  feature  of  the 
situation,  and  were  talking  themselves  more  and 
more  into  a  state  of  mind  that  bordered  closely 
upon  contempt  for  Santa  Anna  and  his  live  thou- 
sand men. 

The  most  undemonstrative  man  among  them 
all  was  Colonel  Bowie.  He  had  slung  his 
hammock  near  one  of  tin-  embrasures,  with  a 
cannon  at  his  side,  and,  like  the  cannon,  he 
was  continually  peering  out.  Even  after  it 
grew  darker  and  only  moonlight  remained  to 
show  him  anything,  he  every  now  and  then 
seemed  to  take  an  inquiring  look  at  the  sur- 
rounding country. 

"  I  can  see  that  cave,"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self, "  as  clear  as  if  I  were  in  it.  What  if  the 
fate  of  a  young  nation  should  depend  upon  our 
getting  into  that  hole  again?  If  those  old 
rascals  knew  we -were  coming,  they'd  pitch  it 
all  down  the  chasm.  I'd  like  to  know,  just  for 
curiosity,  what  fellows  and  how  many  of  them 


THE    FIRST    SHOT.  255 

have  been  butchered  before  that  altar.  In  the 
old  times  they  used  up  whole  tribes  and  regi- 
ments of  captives  that  way.  Then  I'd  like  to 
know  where  all  that  bullion  came  from.  I 
don't  believe  they  mined  for  it.  They  didn't 
know  how.  They  got  it  out  of  river-beds,  I 
reckon,  just  as  they  do  in  Asia  and  Africa/' 

He  had  hit  the  mark,  for  there  was  no  other 
way  imaginable.  But  where  were  the  river- 
beds, and  how  much  more  gold-dust  and  nug- 
gets might  there  be  remaining  in  them  ? 

He  could  dream  and  speculate  there  in  his 
hammock,  but  that  was  all  he  could  do.  His 
voung  republic  was  indeed  to  come  and  go. 
Mexico  was  to  lose  Texas  and  her  other  north- 
ern provinces.  The  pioneers  among  whom  he 
was  so  daring  a  leader  were  to  accomplish  even 
more  than  they  were  planning.  Beyond  all 
his  dreams,  however,  would  be  the  solution  of 
his  gold  problem.  Only  a  few  years  later  the 
slopes  and  gulches  of  the  California  mountains 
were  to  swarm  with  hardy  miners,  and  the 
treasures  of  the  Montezumas  were  to  sink  into 
insignificance  in  comparison  with  the  wealth  to 
be  taken  out,  not  by  the  Aztecs  or  the  Spaniards, 
but  by  the  "  Gringos." 


256      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Would  anybody  then  be  found  to  take  note 
of  the  fact  that  Bowie  and  his  comrades  were 
the  advance-guard,  the  skirmish-line,  almost 
the  "  forlorn  hope"  of  the  armies  of  Taylor 
and  Scott?  The  United  States,  the  world  at 
large,  and  even  Mexico,  owe  their  memories 
something  of  recognition,  and  they  were  not 
even  much  "ahead  of  their  time." 

"Crockett,"  said  Travis,  just  before  they 
went  to  sleep,  "Bowie  can't  get  thai  cave  out 
of  his  head." 

"It's  t'other  way,"  replied  Crockett.  "He 
can't  get  his  head  out  of  the  cave,  and  I'll  be 
glad,  you  bet,  when  wc  all  get  our  heads  out 
of  the  cave  this  push  of  Santa  Anna  is  putting 
us  into." 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Crockett's  alarm  gun. 

FEBRUARY  24,  1836,  and  a  splendid 
winter  morning  for  a  parade. 

Altogether  unmolested  as  they  came,  the 
Mexican  army  marched  into  position  around 
the  Alamo  fort.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  at  them. 
Not  a  man  of  the  garrison  was  in  sight.  There 
was  a  sullen  air  about  the  whole  concern. 
Upon  the  church  wall,  indeed,  Colonel  Travis 
with  a  field-glass  studied  and  estimated  the 
assailants  he  was  to  contend  with. 

"  No  heavy  guns,  Davy,"  he  said  to  Crockett, 
standing  near  him.  "  Castro  was  right  about 
everything  else.  We  shall  get  a  message  from 
Santa  Anna  pretty  soon.  Hullo!  There  he 
comes  now.     Let's  go  down." 

"  You've  only  jest  one  thing  to  do,"  replied 
Crockett,  dryly,  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  they 
were  to  go  down  by. 

" What's  that?"  said  Travis,  getting  ready 
for  a  joke.     "Out  with  it," 

17  257 


258       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Well  "  chuckled  the  bear  hunter,  one  stair 
down,  "  you  know  what  he's  goin'  to  ask  for. 
Just  you  demand  the  immediate,  onconditional 
surrender  of  Santa  Anna  and  all  his  chickens." 

"  Crockett!"  exclaimed  Travis,  "I  can  tell 
you  one  thing.  I  know  him.  If  we  should 
surrender,  no  matter  what  conditions  he  might 
give,  the  old  murderer  would  have  every  man 
of  us  shot  before  sunset." 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it,"  said  Crockett;  "and 
between  you  and  me  and  the  gate-post,  I'd 
ruther  do  a  small  chance  of  hard  lighting  first. 
That's  about  the  way  the  men  feel,  too." 

That  was  the  kind  of  reputation  the  Mexican 
general  had  won  for  himself,  and  he  was  shortly 
to  add  to  it  by  his  conduct  of  his  campaign  in 
Texas. 

By  the  time  the  two  friends  came  out  through 
the  church  door-way,  the  officer  of  the  guard  at 
the  gate  was  loudly  responding  to  a  sonorous 
bugle  summons.  A  mounted  officer,  attended 
by  the  bugler  only,  had  halted  outside. 

"  A  cartel  from  His  Excellency  General  de 
Santa  Anna !"  he  shouted,  in  response  to  the 
hail  of  the  sergeant.  "  I  am  accredited  to 
Senor  Travis." 


In  rode  the  very  airy  captain  of  lancers. 


Crockett's  alarm  gun.  259 

"  Colonel  Travis,  you  mean !"  shouted  back 
the  sergeant,  angrily ;  but  the  clear,  ringing 
tones  of  Bowie  called  out, — 

"  Let  him  in,  Daly.  Never  mind  his  non- 
sense." 

Open  swung  the  gate,  and  in  rode  the  very 
airy  captain  of  lancers  who  had  been  sent  to 
demand  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  but  who  had 
insolently  neglected  to  acknowledge  the  mili- 
tary rank  of  its  commander. 

That  was  the  sum  and  substance  of  the 
letter  he  shortly  delivered  to  Travis,  after  dis- 
mounting and  exchanging  formal  compliments. 
Added  to  it,  however,  was  the  grim  assurance 
that,  in  case  of  resistance,  the  fort  would  be 
stormed  at  once  and  no  quarter  whatever  would 
be  shown  to  the  garrison. 

"  Good  !"  said  Travis,  smilingly.  "  No  use 
in  my  writing.  Go  back  to  the  general  and 
tell  him  to  come  on.     We  are  ready." 

"  Is  that  all?"  exclaimed  the  astonished  cap- 
tain. "  Are  you  mad  ?  Do  you  really  intend 
to  resist  us  ?" 

"  Travis,"  whispered  Crockett,  "  tell  him  to 
say  that  if  they'll  march  right  hum  and  agree 
to  stay  thar,  we  won't  hurt  a  soul  of  'em." 


260       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

The  captain  heard  him,  and  his  astonishment 
showed  itself  more  plainly,  but  the  reply  of 
Travis  was  strictly  formal. 

"That  is  all,"  hi'  said.  "  He  knows  me. 
Tell  J  m  I  am  in  command  here.  We  >hall 
hold  die  Alamo  !" 

!  >w  bowed  the  captain,  turning  to  his  horse, 
and  in  a  momenl  more  he  was  .-purring  beyond 
the  gate,  and  it  closed  clangingly  behind  him. 
There  was  really  nothing  more  for  the  bugler 
to  do,  but  he  blew  his  horn  furiously  before  he 
galloped  away. 

"It'll  take  something  better  n  bugle  music 
to  get  the  Greasers  over  those  walls,"  remarked 
Crockett;  but  the  long  eighteen-pounder  was 
now  at  one  of  the  southerly  embrasures,  and, 
at  a  signal  from  Travis,  a  thunder  of  defiance 
rang  out. 

"That's  the  last  blank  cartridge  we'll  fire," 
said  Travis.  "  Now  let's  see  what  they'll  do 
next.  The  fools  can't  really  mean  to  try  to 
storm  the  works?     I  almost  wish  they  would." 

"  If  he'd  said  he'd  do  it  to-day,  he'll  put  it 
off  till  to-morrow,"  replied  Crockett,  sarcasti- 
cally. "  He  never  kept  his  word  since  he  was 
born, — except  about  throat-cutting." 


Crockett's  alarm  gun.  261 

No  other  voice  responded.  Quiet,  resolute, 
cheerful,  the  picked  men  who  constituted  that 
heroic  garrison  were  at  their  stations,  and  not 
a  quiver  of  fear  showed  itself  among  them. 
As  for  the  enemy,  Crockett  had  not  been  far 
out  of  the  way.  Postponement  was  second 
nature  to  Santa  Anna.  Besides,  he  was  really 
possessed  of  considerable  military  education 
and  ability.  He  could  see  that,  as  the  rangers 
said  among  themselves,  "  he  had  a  pretty  hard 
nut  to  crack."  He  would  therefore  think  about 
it  during  the  rest  of  that  day.  All  he  was 
ready  to  do  at  once  was  to  send  his  heaviest  bat- 
tery into  position  and  order  it  to  blaze  away. 
It  was  composed  of  very  handsomely  polished 
brass  nine-pounder  guns.  It  swept  into  its 
place  with  a  flourish  of  brass  music  from  the 
bands  and  a  sounding  of  many  drums. 

"  There  will  be  a  breach  in  the  wall  be- 
fore sunset,"  declared  the  general,  confidently. 
"  We  can  charge  in  to-morrow." 

Loudly  roared  the  guns,  and  they  were  good 
ones,  but  praise  did  not  await  the  artillerymen. 
One  shot  struck  the  wall  of  the  church.  Another 
went  over  the  fort.  The  remainder  fell  short 
and  ploughed  deep  furrows  in  the  sandy  soil. 


262   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

"Santa  Maria!"  exclaimed  the  colonel  of 
artillery.     "  We  must  do  better  next  time." 

The  six  guns  of  the  battery  were  reloaded. 
Every  piece  was  aimed  with  care,  and  off  they 
went  again. 

"  How  is  it,  Crockett?"  shouted  Travis  to  his 
friend,  for  the  eccentric  satirist  was  Bitting  on 
the  wall,  his  legs  dangling  outside,  and  he  was 
leaning  forward. 

"Two  <>n  'cm  hit  the  wall,  replied  Crockett. 
"Dented  it  some.  Tell  Daly  to  come  around 
and  see  the  holes." 

"Bowie,"  said  Travis,  "you  and  Daly. 
Don't  let  another  man  out.  His  next  battery 
is  nearly  ready  to  opeu  fire." 

It  was  quite  ready,  but  it  was  composed  of 
lighter  pieces.  A  minute  or  so  later,  Bowie  and 
the  sergeant  were  out  in  front  talking  to  Crock- 
ett on  the  wall. 

"  They've  damaged  it  a  little,"  said  Daly. 
"  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  it." 

"  Could  they  punch  a  hole  through,"  asked 
Davy,  "  if  they  hammered  long  enough  ?" 

"  Reckon  they  could,"  remarked  Bowie.  "  I 
think  that's  our  worst  danger.  But  I  want  to 
hear  from  those  other  guns." 


Crockett's  alarm  gux.  263 

Two  batteries  sounded  this  time,  and  the 
three  Texans  stood  still  and  watched  with  deep 
interest  the  effect  of  the  shots.  It  did  not 
seem  to  occur  to  either  of  them  that  a  cannon- 
ball  might  possibly  hurt  a  man. 

"  Eight  over  my  head,"  said  Crockett, 
quietly.     "  Hit  the  roof  of  the  convent." 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Daly.  "  Them  nine- 
pound  balls  punch,  but  the  sixes  don't  make  a 
mark  worth  a  cent.  They  can  jest  thunder 
away." 

"  Come  on,"  said  Bowie.  "  Let's  go  in.  If 
they  had  heavier  guns  there'd  be  a  breach  in 
that  wall  pretty  soon.  Anything  smaller'n 
sixes  would  be  like  pelting  us  with  apples." 

Santa  Anna  did  not  seem  to  be  of  that 
opinion.  Or  else  he  may  have  calculated  that 
sharp  cannonading  would  dishearten  the  gar- 
rison. His  own  troops  evidently  enjoyed  it, 
but  there  was  a  severe  shock  awaiting  the  dis- 
tinguished Mexican.  Again  and  again  his 
heaviest  battery  had  spoken  thunderously,  and 
he  felt  sure  that  it  must  have  accomplished 
something,  but  now  before  him  stood  General 
Castrillon,  in  command  of  all  the  artillery  of  the 
invading  army.     His  face  was  red,  his  mous- 


264      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

taches  seemed  to  curl  with  wrath,  and  his  first 
utterances  were  half  choked  with  furious  execra- 
tions upon  the  army  commissary  at  Monterey. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  general  ?"  sternly  de- 
manded the  commander-in-chief. 

"No  more  nine-pound  shot!"  roared  Gen- 
eral Castrillon.  "The  miscreant  has  loaded 
the  other  wagon  with  twelve-pound  balls! 
They  are  useless  !" 

"  Caramba  /"  almost  screamed  his  chief.  "  I 
will  have  him  shot!  Let  the  cannonading 
cease.  The  fort  must  be  taken  by  escalade. 
Have  the  ladders  ready  by  nine  o'clock  to- 
morrow morning." 

The  fort  was  safer,  but  an  admirable  ex- 
ample had  been  given  of  the  inefficiency,  in- 
dolence, and  general  worthlessness  of  the  Mexi- 
can officials.  Not  even  the  probability  of  being 
shot  for  their  blunders  could  induce  them  to 
discharge  their  duties  thoroughly. 

"  That  battery's  tired  out,"  remarked  Crock- 
ett, as  the  pause  in  the  firing  grew  longer. 
"  Reckon  they're  holdin'  on  while  they  can  take 
a  game  of  seven-up.    They  haven't  hurt  us  any." 

"Yes,  they  have,"  said  Travis,  quietly. 
"  Don't   you   see?     Or    haven't  you  been    up 


Crockett's  alarm  gun.  265 

the  church    again?      They're    swinging   their 
camps  around  to  make  a  blockade." 

"  They  can't  choke  us  off  that  way,"  re- 
sponded Crockett.  "  Thar  ain't  enough  of  'em. 
If  they'll  string  out  in  as  long  a  line  as  would 
go'  round,  it  '11  be  thin  all  the  way.  I'd  go 
a-gunning  anywhar  along  that  line." 

"  That  isn't  the  point,"  said  Trayis.  "  He's 
arranging;  to  cut  off  reinforcements.  He 
knows  how  many  men  we  haye,  you  can  bet 
on  that.     He  doesn't  mean  to  let  any  more  in." 

"  The  kind  of  men  that  are  coming,"  growled 
Crockett,  "  are  likely  to  find  a  way  in  or  make 
one.     But  it's  about  time  they  were  here." 

"  I'm  going  to  send  a  despatch  to  Houston," 
said  Trayis.   "Carson  has  yolunteered  to  take  it." 

"Well,"  returned  Crockett,  "most  likely 
he'll  know  without  our  tellin',  but  what  if 
Carson  doesn't  get  through  ?" 

"  We  must  take  our  chances,"  said  Trayis. 
"  One  man's  all  we  can  spare.  "  I'm  almost 
afraid  Houston  can't  send  any  more  to  us  just 
now." 

"  Every  man  in  Texas  owns  a  rifle !"  ex- 
claimed Crockett,  with  energy.  "  Xot  a  livin' 
soul  ought  to  stay  at  home." 


266       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Pay  and  rations,"  said  Travis,  calmly. 
"  I'm  afraid  Bowie's  dollars  didn't  come  in 
time.  It  isn't  any  fault  of  his,  but  all  the 
gold  in  Mexico  wouldn't  save  the  Alamo." 

Bowie  was  listening,  but  he  turned  away 
without  speaking,  for  he  was  questioning  him- 
self. Was  it  any  fault  of  his?  Had  it  been 
his  duty  to  return  at  oner  with  the  cash  found 
in  the  adobe  ruin  instead  of  pushing  on  with 
Tetzcatl  ?  It  was  a  serious  question,  but  at  last 
he  put  it  away. 

"  Come  what  may,"  he  told  himself,  "  I  could 
not  have  done  otherwise.  I  had  no  choice.  I 
was  driven.  I  was  in  one  of  those  places 
wdiere  a  man  cannot  decide  for  himself.  The 
Comanches  did  it." 

The  movements  of  the  several  assignments 
of  the  Mexican  army  went  on  deliberately  all 
through  the  day.  The  circle  that  was  made 
was  pretty  long,  however,  and  there  wTere  gaps 
between  the  camps  which  would  require  careful 
patrolling  to  make  complete  what  Crockett  de- 
scribed as  "the  corral  of  the  Gringos." 

"  Anything  like  a  provision-train,  for  in- 
stance," remarked  Bowie,  "  couldn't  get  in  with- 
out a  battle.     There  isn't  any  American  force 


Crockett's  alarm  gun.  267 

yet  gathered  in  Texas  that  could  undertake  to 
whip  an  army  of  five  thousand  men." 

Night  came  at  last,  and  with  it  came  a  moon 
instead  of  the  darkness  which  Travis  had  been 
wishing  for.  It  was  not  a  good  night  for  a 
secret  messenger,  and  the  mounted  patrols  of 
the  enemy  were  going  to  and  fro  almost  up  to 
the  walls  of  the  fort. 

"  Their  infantry  outlooks  are  well  out  in  ad- 
vance of  their  lines,"  remarked  Travis,  stand- 
ing in  the  gate-way.  "  I  doubt  if  it's  possible 
for  Carson  to  get  through." 

"  If  I  thought  he  couldn't  I'd  go  myself," 
exclaimed  Bowie.  "  I  wish  he  were  an  In- 
dian !" 

"That's  jest  what  I  am,"  came  from  the 
brave  ranger  who  had  volunteered.  "  I've 
crept  through  a  band  of  Chickasaws.  My  skelp 
isn't  wuth  as  much  as  Bowie's  is,  anyhow.  It's 
no  use  in  talkin'.     I'm  off." 

"You  bet  he  is,"  quietly  remarked  a  voice 
behind  them,  "and  I'm  goin'  with  him  the 
first  stretch." 

There  stood  Davy  Crockett,  rifle  in  hand. 

"I'd  feel  better  if  you  would,"  said  Bowie. 
"  You're  an  older  hand  than  he  is.     See  him 


268       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

as  far  as  their  lines  and  take  note  of  everything, 
— and  come  back." 

"  Come  back  ?"  chuckled  Davy.  "  Of  course 
I  will.  I'll  have  some  fun,  too.  Get  along, 
Carson.  Fin  goin'  to  take  keer  of  ye.  You're 
young." 

Off  they  went,  and  Travis  laughed  aloud  as 
they  disappeared. 

"You  wait  dow,"  he  said.  "Davy's  goin' 
to  stir  up  tlie  Greasers  somehow  before  lie  gets 
done  with  Van,  but  I  can't  guess  what  the  sell 
is." 

It  would  have  been  only  a  very  sombre  life- 
and-death  affair  to  men  of  another  kind,  but 
these  were  hardly  excited  to  any  unusual  feel- 
ing. They  were  in  the  daily  habit  of  looking 
death  in  the  face,  and  they  could  laugh  at  him. 
Nevertheless,  during  many  minutes  that  fol- 
lowed, they  and  a  changing  group  of  rangers 
waited  in  the  gate-way,  listening  silently  to 
every  sound  that  came  to  them  from  the  hostile 
camps.  A  troop  of  horse  went  trampling  by 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  them  and  they  heard 
the  words  of  command.  More  minutes  passed 
and  the  stillness  seemed  to  increase. 

"  We'd  have  heard  something  if  the  Greasers 


Crockett's  alarm  gun.  269 

had  sighted  'em,"  whispered  one  of  the  men. 
"  They're  not  took  yet " 

"  Hear  that  gun  !"  shouted  Travis,  the  next 
instant.     "  That  means  something  !" 

Another  cannon  sounded,  and  another,  and 
then  they  heard  the  rapid  reports  of  musketry 
from  a  score  of  points  all  along  the  lines. 

"  Bad  luck  !"  groaned  a  ranger. 

"  They've  got  'em  !"  said  another. 

"  It's  good-by,  Davy  Crockett,  I'm  afraid," 
said  Bowie,  in  a  voice  that  was  deep  with  emo- 
tion.    "  We  ought  not  to  have  let  him  go." 

The  expressions  of  regret  for  him  and  Car- 
son were  many  and  sincere,  all  around,  but  the 
cunning  old  bear  hunter  had  been  doing  a  re- 
markable piece  of  what  passed  with  him  for  fun. 

Only  about  ten  minutes  before  the  first  alarm 
gun  sounded  a  pair  of  shadows  had  been  glid- 
ing along  on  the  ground,  midway  between  the 
two  camps  that  were  nearest  to  the  fort  gate. 

"So  far,  so  good,"  whispered  one  of  them. 
"  What's  best  to  do  next  ?" 

"Straight  into  the  corral,"  was  the  reply. 
"  I  allers  feel  at  hum  among  hosses.  They're 
kind  o'  friendly.  Besides,  you've  got  to  hev 
one  to  travel  on." 


270       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

A  very  large  number  of  them,  of  all  sort-, 
had  been  picketed  there,  a  short  distance  in  the 
rear  of  the  camps.  They  were  guarded,  of 
course,  but  they  were  entirely  out  of  the  sup- 
posable  reach  of  Gringo  thieves  from  the  fort, 
and  the  guards  were  taking  things  easily.  So 
were  the  quadrupeds,  and  not  one  of  them  was 
at  all  disturbed  in  his  mind  when  two  men  who 
might  belong  to  the  same  army  slipped  silently 
in  among  them. 

"No  Greaser  kin  see  through  a  hoss,"  re- 
marked one  of  the  adventurers,  "but  I'll  tell 
you  what,  my  boy,  your  tightest  squeeze  is 
goin'  to  be  in  gettin'  out  od  the  further  side. 
They're  guardiu'  thai*  rear  more'n  they  are 
toward  the  fort.  They're  on  the  watch  for 
anything  Sam  Houston  may  let  loose  on 
'em." 

That  was  in  strict  accordance  with  the  mili- 
tary jmidences  of  the  situation,  but  for  that 
very  reason  all  the  guards  on  duty  were  look- 
ing out  instead  of  looking  in.  No  patrol,  for 
instance,  beyond  the  camps,  whether  mounted 
or  on  foot,  could  at  once  imagine  anything  sus- 
picious concerning  a  dim  shape  slowly  tramp- 
ing out  from  the  horse  corral.     Only  one  did 


Crockett's  alarm  gun.  271 

come,  and  he  walked  along  leading  with  him  a 
saddled  and  bridled  mustang. 

"  Here  comes  the  guard !"  he  suddenly  ex- 
claimed, aloud.  "  Xow's  my  time.  I'll  signal 
to  Davy." 

He  sprang  upon  the  back  of  the  mustang, 
turned  and  blew  a  short,  sharp  whistle,  and 
galloped  away.  Hundreds  of  men  may  have 
heard  the  whistle,  but  only  one  understood  it. 
Not  a  solitary  Mexican  at  once  followed  the 
vanishing  horseman,  and  he  quickly  was  beyond 
successful  following. 

Hoarse  shouts  had  gone  after  him,  truly. 
Orders  to  halt,  with  Spanish  inquiries  and 
execrations,  had  sounded  from  all  directions. 
It  was  understood  that  something  or  other  had 
happened,  and  there  were  officers  who  at  once 
began  to  investigate  the  matter. 

The  proper  direction  of  their  first  efforts  was 
plainly  indicated  by  an  extraordinary  disturb- 
ance in  the  corral.  Quite  a  large  number  of 
the  horses  were  now  loose  and  they  were  run- 
ning around  excitedly.  It  did  not  arise  to  the 
dignity  of  a  stampede,  but  the  guards  who  first 
rushed  in  came  near  being  trampled  down. 
These  were  joined  at  once  by  the  too  zealous 


272   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

sentries  of  a  battery  which  had  been  stationed 
at  the  right  of  the  corral,  so  that  its  guns  were 
for  the  moment  left  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

"Don't  I  wish  I  had  some  spikes?"  inquired 
a  very  low,  hoarse  chuckle  thai  was  crawling 
along  at  the  side  of  one  of  the  guns.  "  If  I 
had  IM  spile  every  touch-hole  of  tins  'ere 
battery.  Hullo!  Thai-  they  are.  I  reckon 
I  kin  shew  Ym  a  new  p'int  in  the  right  way 
of  handlin'  artillery.  Thai  is,  if  ary  one  of 
these  long  fours  is  primed." 

After  that  there  came  a  clicking  of  flint  and 
steel,  and  then  a  soft  glow  of  tire  close  to  the 
ground. 

Louder  grew  the  tumult  in  the  corral,  angrier 
and  more  numerously  arose  the  shouts  and 
commands  of  the  officers. 

"Jim  Carson's  got  clean  away  from  'em,  I 
reckon,"  was  spoken  more  loudly,  "  but  that 
lot  of  Greasers  have  marched  to  about  the 
right  spot.  Wonder  what  this  thing  is  shotted 
with.     Here  she  goes  !" 

A  hand  went  up  to  the  breech  of  the  gun 
and  then  the  first  booming  alarm  went  out. 

"  Reckon  'twas  a  round  shot,"  he  said.  "  It 
fetched  'em.     One  more." 


CROCKETT  S    ALARM    GUN.  273 

A  second  gun  spoke  out,  and  then  a  third,  in 
quick  succession,  but  to  Mexican  ears  it  seemed 
the  correct  thing  for  any  of  their  own  guns  to 
do  in  case  of  a  sudden  alarm  at  night.  It  would 
show  the  garrison  that  its  besiegers  were  awake. 

Nevertheless,  the  iron  missiles  had  been  sent 
with  deadly  effect  among  the  luckless  detach- 
ment of  infantry,  and  every  man  of  it  who  was 
left  unhurt  fired  off  his  musket  at  the  space  in 
front  of  him  and  the  jDOSsible  Gringos  it  might 
contain.  Sentry  after  sentry,  all  along,  in 
camp  after  camp,  followed  that  example,  front 
and  rear.  The  very  game-cocks  in  their  coops 
crowed  vigorously,  and  the  general  himself 
came  out  of  his  tent  to  see  what  was  the  matter 
with  them  and  with  his  army. 

The  artillerymen  who  now  came  hurrying 
back  to  their  guns  found  no  one  with  them, — 
nothing  but  an  entirely  unexplainable  mystery. 
There  were  now  no  soldiers  in  front  of  the 
battery,  however.  The  coast  was  clear,  and 
across  the  moonlit  area  from  which  he  had 
driven  his  enemies  Davy  Crockett  strode  on  to 
the  Alamo. 

"Who  goes  there?"  greeted  him  from  the 
sentry  at  the  gate. 

18 


274   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 


y   >> 


"I  ain't  a-goin'  jest  now;  I'm  cumin', 
shouted  back  the  very  grim  old  joker,  with  a 
fierce  laugh.  "  Travis,  I  reckon  Jim  Carson's 
all  right.  We  took  him  a  good  mount  from 
thar  own  corral.  But  I  fired  them  alarm  guns 
myself.  Wait  till  I  git  in  and  I'll  tell  jest  how 
I  did  it,  but  I  reckon  the  Greasers  '11  think 
wre've  made  a  sort*  e" 

Three  cheer-  were  given  him,  and  these  too 
were  heard  by  the  Mexican-  to  increase  their 
perplexity.  Something  very  like  a  sortie  had 
really  been  made,  and  the  entire  Mexican  army 
was  getting  under  arm-.  ( )m-  regiment  marched 
a  mile  before  it  could  be  ordered  back,  but 
Santa  Anna  himself  had  preserved  his  military 
composure. 

"  Caramba  f"  he  exclaimed,  in  reply  to  one 
of  his  officers.  "Houston?  No!  He  has  no 
force  that  he  can  send.  We  have  nothing  to 
deal  with  but  the  desperadoes  inside  of  yonder 
walls,  and  we  shall  slaughter  them  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE    REINFORCEMENT. 

A  WAY  outside  of  the  fort  wall  at  sunrise 
-£^-  stood  Davy  Crockett,  all  alone.  He  had 
been  noting  with  evident  interest  the  marks 
made  upon  the  masonry  by  the  cannon-balls 
fired  the  day  before. 

"  All  right,"  he  said.  "  It  amuses  them  and 
it  doesn't  hurt  us.  I'm  only  fifty,  and  my  ha'r 
will  be  turnin'  gray  before  they  git  in  this  way." 

It  was  a  satisfactory  conclusion,  and  he 
turned  to  scan  the  Mexican  lines. 

"  Jim  Carson  got  away  from  them,"  he  said. 
"  Of  course  he  did,  but  we  can't  wait  for  Sam 
Houston.  We've  got  to  depend  on  ourselves. 
Well,  now !  If  this  isn't  curious !  Who- 
ever heard  of  Greasers  gittin'  up*  early?  I 
didn't,  but  they're  a-movin'.  Reckon  we're 
goin'  to  have  some  fun  right  away." 

That  was  the  opinion  of  Travis  and  two  ran- 
ger officers  up  in  the  church  tower. 

The    camps  of  the    Mexican    infantry  were 

275 


276      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

pouring  forth  their  bayonets,  and  everywhere 
the  cavalrymen  stood  beside  their  horses,  ready 
to  mount  at  the  word  of  command.  What 
was  to  be  done  with  horsemen  in  an  attack 
upon  stone  walls  did  not  appear,  but  the  tele- 
scope revealed  much  more  ominous  prepara- 
tions. Already  out  in  front  of  the  southerly 
camps  were  parties  of  men  who  were  provided 
with  ladders.  If  the  artillery  as  yet  had  made 
no  breaches,  the  walls  could  be  climbed  over. 
The  cannon  were  to  have  their  share  in  the 
day's  work  nevertheless,  and  at  a  given  signal 
every  battery  began  to  speak.  A  storm  of  iron 
pellets  hurtled  against  the  defences  or  flew  over 
them. 

That  part  of  the  fortress  which  was  mainly 
composed  of  the  church  and  of  the  convent  did 
not  promise  well  for  a  climbing  adventure. 
The  assaulting  force  was  therefore  massed  for 
a  rush  against  the  lower  walls  around  the  plaza. 
These  were  pierced  for  musketry  as  well  as  for 
cannon.  Every  shot-hole  had  now  its  marks- 
man, with  U\o  more  standing  behind  him  ready, 
each  to  take  his  place  in  turn  while  the  others 
reloaded. 

"  Let  'em  come  close  up,"  was  the  order  of 


THE    REINFORCEMENT.  277 

Colonel  Travis.  "  Hit  every  man  just  below 
his  belt." 

"And  ef  you  do,"  added  Crockett,  "that 
thar  Greaser  '11  sit  right  down." 

Low  voices  passed  from  man  to  man,  and  the 
substance  of  the  utterances  was, — 

"  Hit,  boys  !     Every  shot  is  for  life." 

An  iron  calmness  grew  harder  in  all  their 
faces  as  the  fire  of  the  batteries  ceased  and  the 
Mexican  masses  began  to  move  steadily  forward 
to  the  sound  of  their  drums.  They  came  on  as 
confidently  as  if  the  fort  were  already  their 
own,  for  their  officers  were  freely  declaring  the 
expectation  that  at  the  last  moment  the  Grin- 
gos would  give  up  so  hopeless  a  defence  and 
surrender. 

That  is,  the  nerves  of  the  rangers  or  of  their 
commander,  proof  against  the  thunders  of  the 
artillery,  were  to  fail  at  the  prospect  of  being 
crushed  by  overwhelming  numbers.  Perhaps 
the  very  silence  that  reigned  around  the  fort  did 
something  to  increase  the  delusion,  and  the  fore- 
most ranks  advanced  to  within  short  rifle  range. 

"  Ain't  I  glad  the  grape-shot  and  canister  got 
here  in  time !"  growled  Sergeant  Daly,  squint- 
ing along  his  gun. 


278      THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Ready !"  shouted  Travis  at  that  moment 
from  the  middle  of  the  plaza.  "  All  ready ! 
Let  'em  have  it !     Fire  I" 

Every  cannon  of  the  fort  which  bore  upon 
the  enemy  went  off  as  if  one  hand  had  iired 
them  all.  A  storm  of  lead  and  iron  swept 
through  the  advancing  columns.  Then  as  the 
smoke-clouds  cleared  away  a  little  the  cracking 
of  the  rifles  began,  and  the  astonished  Mexi- 
cans dropped  rapidly,  only  too  many  of  them 
smitten  "just  below  the  belt"  or  a  few  inches 
above  it. 

The  attempt  to  overawe  the  garrison  by  a 
sudden  attack  in  force  had  signally  failed.  It 
had  become  little  better  than  a  disastrous  recon- 
noitring party.  Nothing  had  been  really  ready 
for  so  serious  an  undertaking  as  the  storming  of 
the  Alamo.  The  Mexican  troops  were  marched 
back  to  their  camps,  while  their  officers  made 
up  very  disagreeable  lists  of  killed  and  wounded. 

The  cannon  of  the  fort  had  been  very  well 
handled  and  the  accuracy  of  the  rifle  practice 
had  been  remarkable.  At  the  same  time,  not 
a  man  of  the  garrison  had  received  so  much  as 
a  scratch.  They  could  hardly  believe  that  the 
battle  was  over. 


THE    REINFORCEMENT.  279 

"  Jim  Bowie,"  shouted  Crockett,  as  he  saw 
his  friend  coolly  at  work  with  a  rifle-wiper, 
"  none  o'  that  jest  now.  Don't  stop  to  clean 
your  gun.  Blaze  away  with  it  dirty  and  wipe 
it  out  by  and  by,  after  this  butcher  business  is 
over.  It  hasn't  been  exactly  a  fight,  not  yit, 
but  it's  2)'isonous  fun  for  Santy  Ann  v." 

The  Mexican  general  indeed  was  wild  with 
rage  and  disappointment  over  the  failure  of  his 
first  ill-advised  demonstration.  For  the  first 
time  in  his  varied  military  experience  he  had 
witnessed  the  effects  of  sharp-shooting. 

He  was  not  singular  by  any  means.  At  that 
date  the  best  infantry  of  Europe  were  still 
armed  with  smooth-bore  muskets  and  depended 
mainly  upon  volley-firing  when  in  action.  The 
crack  regiments  of  England,  truly,  had  re- 
ceived a  terrible  lesson  at  New  Orleans  from 
the  American  riflemen  under  General  Jackson, 
but  neither  the  British  nor  any  other  military 
power  had  seemed  willing  to  profit  largely  by  it. 

All  military  operations  were  over  for  the 
day.  The  batteries  rested,  and  the  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  beaten  army  had  not  even  the 
heart  for  his  evening  game  of  monte. 

"  Men  !"  said  Colonel  Travis  to  his  gallant 


280   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

garrison,  drawn  up  for  a  kind  of  triumphant 
review  in  the  plaza,  "  I  don't  mean  to  say  much, 
but  this  is  the  kind  of  work  that  is  going  to 
save  Texas." 

"  You  bet  it  is,  and  thar's  got  to  be  heaps 
of  it  done,"  came  in  a  low-voiced  snarl  from 
Crockett.     "What  they  Deed  is  killing." 

"The  enemy  have  received  a  sharp  lesson," 
continued  Travis,  "but  they  won't  give  it  up 
right  away.  They  can't  afford  to  retreat  after 
only  one  battle.  Santa  Anna  would  he  kicked 
out  of  power  if  he  should  fail  to  take  the  Al- 
amo. So  if  we  ran  heat  him  completely  we 
shall  be  setting  both  Texas  and  Mexico  free 
from  the  old  gambler's  tyranny." 

A  loud  cheer  responded,  and  on  the  heels  of 
the  last  "  hurrah"  Crockett  remarked, — 

"  And  we'll  save  our  own  throats,  too,  if 
that's  any  object.  Mine  was  feelin'  a  little  kind 
o'  sore  this  mornin',  but  it's  all  right  jest  now." 

The  men  went  to  their  quarters  and  stations 
in  very  full  accord  with  the  feelings  of  the  old 
bear  hunter. 

"  Bowie,"  said  Travis,  as  soon  as  they  were 
alone  together,  "  it's  almost  better  than  I  hoped 
for.     What  do  you  think  ?" 


THE    REINFORCEMENT.  281 

"  There  will  be  two  or  three  days  of  cannon- 
ading," said  Bowie.  "  Then  there  will  be  an- 
other attack.  I  reckon  we  can  beat  them  off 
again.  We  haven't  provisions  for  a  long  siege. 
They  could  starve  us  out." 

"  If  they  give  Houston  time  enough,"  replied 
Travis,  "  he'll  be  operating  on  the  outside  of  'em 
somehow.    They  can't  wait  for  too  long  a  siege." 

"  We  are  not  to  die  of  starvation,"  said  Bo- 
wie. "  If  it  comes  to  that,  we  can  walk  out  and 
die  killing  Mexicans.     I  will  for  one." 

They  were  not  at  all  deceived  as  to  the  des- 
perate nature  of  their  position.  As  for  their 
patriotic  commander-in-chief,  he  was  struggling 
with  a  sea  of  troubles.  Most  of  the  money 
found  in  the  old  adobe  had  gone  to  New  Or- 
leans for  arms  and  ammunition,  but  it  might 
be  weeks  before  there  would  be  any  important 
returns.  He  was  using  the  remainder  of  the 
cash  at  home  trying  to  get  his  hastily  gathered 
volunteers  into  the  shape  of  an  army.  He  and 
Austin  had  several  bodies  of  men  at  points  dis- 
tant from  each  other,  but  not  one  of  them  could 
be  marched  for  the  relief  of  the  Alamo,  nor 
would  all  of  them  together  have  been  a  third  in 
number  of  the  force  under  Santa  Anna.     Some 


282   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MOXTEZUMAS. 

of  their  commanders,  to  make  the  matter  worse, 
seemed  hardly  to  consider  themselves  under 
anybody's  orders,  so  new  and  so  unsettled  was 
the  authority  of  the  Texan  government. 

It  was  toward  the  close  of  the  day  of  thai 
first  attempt  to  storm  the  fort  that  a  party  of 
thirty-two  mounted  riflemen  were  somewhat 
leisurely  pursuing  their  way  along  a  road  the 
western  end  of  which  was  known  to  reach  the 
town  of  San  Antonio  de  Bexar.  At  their  head 
rode  a  short,  Bquarely  Unit  man,  whose  hat  was 
pulled  forward  over  his  eyes.  II<-  was  leaning 
a  little,  as  it'  he  were  bent  down  by  some  weight 
or  other. 

"They  are  all  there,"  he  muttered  "The 
best  men  in  Texas.  They'll  never  give  up. 
They'll  die  right  whar  they  stand.  Ye-es,  sir! 
I'm  goin' !  I  am  !  If  it's  only  to  go  in  and 
die  alongside  of  Jim  Bowie,  and  Travis,  and 
old  Davy !" 

A  shout  rang  out  behind  him,  and  it  was 
instantly  answered  by  an  Indian  war-whoop  in 
front. 

"  Halt !"  he  promptly  commanded  as  he 
raised  his  head,  but  he  at  once  added,  "  Only 
one  redskin.     Who  cares?     What's  up?" 


THE    REINFORCEMENT.  283 

The  one  redskin  was  trying  in  vain  to  urge 
an  exhausted  pony  to  a  gallop. 

"  I'll  ride  forward  and  meet  him,"  exclaimed 
the  officer.  "  He's  got  something.  I  know 
Indians.     Hold  on,  boys." 

In  a  moment  more  he  was  listening  to  an 
eager  voice  that  told  him  great  news. 

"  Red  Wolf,"  he  said.  "  Heap  Lipan.  Son 
of  Castro.     Friend  of  Big  Knife." 

"  But  what  are  you  here  for  ?"  interrupted 
the  white  leader.     "  I'm  Colonel  Smith." 

"  Travis  heap  want  more  Texan  !"  said  Red 
Wolf.  "  Santa  Anna  come  !  All  Mexican  at 
fort.  Heap  big  gun.  More  Texan  come  or 
all  ranger  lose  hair.  Castro  great  chief!  Tell 
young  brave  ride  heap !  Bring  many  rifle ! 
Ugh  !" 

"  God  bless  you  !"  exclaimed  Smith.  "  Bully 
for  Castro  !     I  know  him." 

Then  he  turned  to  his  men  and  shouted, — 

"  Boys  !  It's  all  right !  He's  from  the  fort. 
Santa  Anna's  whole  army  is  marching  upon 
the  Alamo.     It's  thar  now  !" 

"We  ought  to  ha'  come  quicker,"  was  the 
first  response  that  came  from  any  of  the  men. 

Smith   could   speak   Spanish,  however,  and 


284       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Red  Wolf  was  more  at  home  in  that  tongue 
than  in  English.  He  now  gave  the  colonel  a 
full  account  of  the  scout  he  and  his  father  had 
made;  of  the  arrival  of  the  supply-train ;  of 
the  condition  of  things  at  the  fort ;  and  of  the 
estimated  strength  of  the  Mexican  army.  All 
that  he  said  was  at  once  communicated  to  the 
men,  but  it  did  not  seem  to  dismay  them.  On 
the  contrary,  not  one  of  them  faltered  when  at 
last  their  commander  addressed  them  with, — 

"Men!  Now  you  know  just  how  it  is,  how- 
many  of  you  are  ready  to  push  right  on  with 
me  to  the  Alamo  ?" 

"Git  right  along,"  came  cheerily  back  from 
one  of  the  riflemen.  "Thai-  ain't  any  white 
feathers  a-flyin'  in  this  crowd.  We're  all  with 
ye.     Hurrah  for  Texas!" 

"  Forward,  march !"  shouted  the  colonel. 
"Every  mile  is  worth  blood.  Boy,  let  'em 
give  you  another  mount.  That  thai*  mustang 
o'  your'n  is  played  out." 

There  was  no  more  travel  in  him,  at  all 
events,  and  he  was  quickly  turned  loose  to  shift 
for  himself,  while  all  that  had  been  on  him  was 
going  westward  upon  a  comparatively  fresh 
and  lively  pony. 


THE    REENTORCEMEXT.  285 

"  It  '11  be  about  two  days'  riding,"  remarked 
Smith,  "  at  the  rate  we'll  have  to  go.  When 
we  get  thar,  we'll  have  to  take  our  chances  for 
finclin'  our  wav  into  the  fort." 

"We'll  get  in,"  they  all  agreed,  but  just 
how  they  expected  to  do  it  did  not  appear. 
On  they  rode,  and  their  camp  that  night  had 
the  appearance  of  a  picnic  rather  than  of  the 
bivouac  of  a  handful  of  adventurers  who  were 
on  their  way  to  cut  a  path  for  themselves 
through  a  hostile  army  to  almost  certain  death. 

The  Mexican  general  held  a  council  of  war 
that  evening,  and  its  session  lasted  late  into 
the  night,  for  there  were  ample  refreshments 
upon  the  table  in  his  marquee. 

It  was  not  a  cheerful  council,  for  the  reports 
of  the  army  surgeons  were  rendered,  and  they 
were  unpleasant  reading.  So  appeared  to  be 
several  despatches  which  had  but  just  arrived. 

"  General,"  exclaimed  General  Cos,  when 
his  commander  had  announced  their  contents, 
"  the  sinking  of  that  barge  in  the  Xueces  is  a 
greater  disaster  to  us  than  is  to-day's  repulse. 
With  those  two  heavy  guns  we  could  have 
made  a  breach  in  the  wall  in  an  hour." 

"  We   must    make    one    somehow,"    replied 


286       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

Santa  Anna,  "  since  yon  all  disapprove  of  a 
night  assault.  Castrillon,  mass  your  batteries 
to-morrow  and  play  all  your  shot  upon  one 
point.  Make  every  shot  tell.  It's  only  a  mat- 
ter of  time." 

"So!"  replied  the  artillery  officer.  "The 
breach  can  be  made.  And  all  the  while  the 
garrison  will  he  eating  up  its  supplies/' 

"So  will  we,"  laughed  General  Cos,  "but 
we've  a  big  drove  of  cuttle  coming.  We  can 
live  on  beef  and  water  till  we  have  crushed 
this  den  of  Gringo  tigers." 

The  tigers  themselves  in  their  fort-den  were 
resting  quiet ly,  all  but  one,  for  the  commander 
of  the  Alamo  was  pacing  up  and  down  slowly, 
thoughtfully,  in  the  plaza.  No  doubt  it  be- 
hooved him  to  be  wakeful,  but  once,  when  he 
paused  in  his  promenade,  he  said,  half  aloud, — 

"  I  hope  Jim  Carson  got  through.  Crockett 
feels  pretty  sure  that  he  did.  Then  my  wife 
will  get  my  last  letter.  I  want  her  to  know  that 
I  did  my  duty  and  died  like  a  man.  I  had 
hoped  to  live  in  Texas  and  see  it  grow  up  to 
be  something,  but  it's  no  use  talking  of  that 
now.  Our  time  has  come.  Not  a  man  of  us 
will  ever  get  out  of  this  place  alive.     And  all 


THE    REINFORCEMENT.  287 

because  Sam  Houston  can't  raise  cash  enough 
to  feed  his  men  on  a  march." 

He  laughed  satirically,  and  the  sentry  at  the 
gate  and  the  watchers  at  the  loop-holes  heard 
him.  It  did  them  good  to  know  that  he  was 
so  merry. 

The  night  waned  toward  the  dawn.  Just  in 
the  gray  mist  of  the  dark  hour  the  riflemen 
under  Colonel  Smith  had  risen  and  they  were 
busy  around  their  camp-fires.  They  had  no 
idea  of  any  enemy  being  near  them,  but  sud- 
denly they  were  startled  by  a  loud  "  whoop  !" 

"That  redskin!"  shouted  Smith,  snatching 
his  rifle  and  dashing  out  of  the  camp.  "  Come 
on,  boys  !     Something's  up  !" 

They  were  following  fast,  but  he  was  well 
ahead,  and  he  came  out  into  the  road  in  time  to 
hear  a  shrill  voice  beyond  him  in  the  mist  de- 
manding,— 

"  Jim  heap  halt !  Ugh!  Red  Wolf!  Heap 
Texan !" 

"You  young  sarpent,  are  you  here?"  came 
back  from  a  man  on  horseback.  "  Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  some  of  our  men  are  nigh 
around  ?" 

"Who  goes  thar?"  shouted  Smith. 


288   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

"  Carson,  from  the  Alamo,"  responded  the 
messenger.     "  Who  are  you  ?" 

"  Friend  of  Big  Knife,"  suggested  Red  Wolf 
to  the  colonel.     "  Hanger." 

"All  right!"  shouted  back  Smith.  "  Dis- 
mount and  come  in.  We're  on  our  way  to  jine 
the  garrison.     How  are  things  ?" 

"  Well,"  replied  Carson,  as  he  came  to  the 
ground,  "when  I  came  away  Santa  Anna  had 
just  fairly  got  into  position.  I  had  to  snake  it 
through  his  lines  to  carry  despatches  to  Hou- 
ston. Jest  you  look  here,  though.  Don't  you 
believe  I  left  without  orders.  Somebody  had 
to  come.  I'm  coming  right  back  to  the  fort 
soon  as  I've  done  my  arr'nd." 

"  Bully  for  you !"  shouted  a  rifleman. 
"That's  what  we're  here  for.  Come  along 
now  and  git  yer  rations." 

"  I  might  ha'  gone  by  ye  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  Red  Wolf,"  said  Carson,  as  they  went  along. 
"  Bowie  says  he's  the  brightest  chap  of  his  age 
that  he  ever  knew.  He  can't  say  that  he  ever 
saw  him  asleep.  He  can  guide  ye  into  the 
fort  when  you  git  thar." 

"  We'll  git  in,"  replied  Smith.  "  I  reckon 
Travis  '11  be  glad  we  met  you.     Every  rifle's 


THE    REINFORCEMENT.  289 

going  to  count  in  such  a  fight  as  this  promises 
to  be." 

"  You  bet !"  said  Jim.  "  I  felt  bad  about 
coming  away,  but  I  gave  up  my  chance  there 
to  please  Travis.  You'll  see  me  inside  the  walls 
before  many  days.     You  will !" 


19 


CHAPTER    XX. 

HEARING    THE    END. 

THE  siege  of  the  Alamo  had  lasted  during 
eight  long,  terrible  days.  There  had 
been  a  great  deal  of  severe  skirmishing,  in 
which  the  Mexicans  had  suffered  losses  every 
time  they  drew  too  near  the  walls.  The  block- 
ade, however,  had  become  so  close  and  vigilant 
that  it  was  no  longer  possible  for  any  bearer 
of  despatches  to  get  out  or  in.  Out  of  several 
that  had  been  sent,  it  was  understood  that  two 
only  had  escaped  capture  and  immediate  exe- 
cution. From  those  who  had  reached  him 
General  Houston  was  informed  as  to  the  con- 
dition of  affairs  at  the  fort.  The  deepest  sym- 
pathy was  felt  for  the  beleaguered  patriots  and 
preparations  for  their  relief  were  going  on. 
Precious  cargoes  of  army  supplies  had  arrived 
from  New  Orleans  in  spite  of  Mexican  war- 
vessels  cruising  in  the  Gulf.  Troops  were  get- 
ting ready.  One  train  of  wagons  accompanied 
by  a  force  of  riflemen  was  already  a  number 

290 


NEARING    THE    END.  291 

of  miles  upon  its  way,  with  a  vague  idea  that  it 
might  somehow  evade  the  army  of  Santa  Anna. 
Men  assured  one  another  that  if  the  garrison 
could  only  hold  out  a  few  days  longer  all  would 
be  well. 

Colonel  Travis  and  his  men  had  held  their 
own  remarkably.  They  even  seemed  but  little 
fatigued  by  their  long  watching,  their  readiness 
to  be  called  to  the  shot-holes  at  any  hour  of 
day  or  night.  They  were  exceedingly  tough 
and  hardy  men.  They  would  have  been  in  good 
spirits  if  it  had  not  been  for  two  things.  One 
of  these  sombre  considerations  was  the  condi- 
tion of  about  ten  yards  of  the  southerly  wall 
of  the  plaza.  This  wTas  crumbling  under  the 
continual  pelting  of  Castrillon's  guns.  Most  of 
it  was  nearly  level  with  the  ground,  andthegaj) 
had  been  feebly  filled  with  such  pieces  of  tim- 
ber and  other  materials  as  could  be  had.  Loose 
earth  had  been  heaped  upon  them,  but  the 
slight  barrier  so  constructed  was  at  the  mercy 
of  cannon-balls.  The  other  point  w~as  even 
more  important. 

"  Colonel  Travis,"  reported  Sergeant  Daly 
that  morning,  "  thar's  only  half  a  dozen 
rounds  for  the  cannon.     The  last  ounce  of  pow- 


292       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

der  and  the  last  bullet  have  been  sarved  out  to 
the  men.  Thar  isn't  enough  for  an  hour's 
shootin'  if  the  next  fight  turns  out  a  hot 
one." 

"Oh,  God!  If  Houston  knew!"  groaned 
the  commander.  "Why  doesn't  help  come? 
Daly,  don't  say  a  word  to  the  men.  It's  possi- 
ble that  the  Greasers  may  not  make  another 
attack " 

"We've  killed  a  heap  of  'em,"  replied  the 
brave  artilleryman.  "But  what  on  'arth  are 
guns  good  for  without  ammunition?" 

"We  won't  surrender,  if  we've  nothing  left 
to  fight  with  but  <>ur  knives  !" 

"Colonel!"  exclaimed  Daly.  "The  men 
wanted  me  to  ask  you  that  question.  They 
know  just  the  fix  we're  in.  You  won't  sur- 
render ?" 

"  I  won't  !"  said  Travis,  firmly. 

"  Thank  God  !"  almost  shouted  Daly.  "  We 
want  to  die  like  men,  with  arms  in  our  hands. 
We  don't  want  to  be  led  out  and  butchered." 

"  The  boys  needn't  be  afraid  that  I'll  go 
back  on  'em,"  replied  the  colonel.  "  I  won't 
rob  them  of  their  last  rights.  If  we've  got  to 
die,  we'll  go  down  fighting." 


XEARIXG    THE    EXD.  293 

"  That's  all  I  wanted  to  know,"  said  Daly, 
and  away  he  strode  to  tell  his  comrades  that 
they  were  in  no  danger  of  being  betrayed  un- 
armed into  the  hands  of  Santa  Anna. 

Hardly  had  he  gone  before  there  came  a 
hail  and  a  response  at  the  great  gate,  and  two 
men  stood  before  it.  One  of  them  wore  the 
uniform  of  the  Mexican  army  and  the  other 
almost  no  uniform  at  all. 

"  Jim  Carson !  Castro  I"  had  been  loudly 
announced  by  the  sentry. 

"  Let  'em  in,  quick  !"  shouted  Travis.  "  You 
don't  know  who's  behind  'em." 

"  Ugh  !"  exclaimed  the  chief  as  he  stepped 
inside.  "  Jim  heap  Mexican.  Where  Red 
Wolf?     Chief  want  him." 

"Colonel  Smith!"  instantly  called  out  his 
companion,  "  I  played  Greaser  to  git  through 
their  lines.     How'd  you  do  it  ?" 

"  That  young  Lipan  wolf  did  it,"  he  said. 
"  He  led  us  'round  to  the  west'ard,  and  we 
hadn't  anything  to  do  but  to  follow  him.  They 
thought  our  party  was  one  of  their  own  patrols. 
We  didn't  lose  a  man.  Colonel  Bonham  got 
in  all  alone." 

No  more  exjDlanations  could  be  given  then 


294   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

and  there,  for  Carson  had  made  his  daring  ex- 
periment that  he  might  bring  encouraging  de- 
spatches from  the  President  and  that  lie  might 
not  break  his  word  about  returning. 

Travis  opened  the  letter  handed  him  and  he 
read  it  where  he  stood. 

"It's  all  right,  men,"  he  said.  "The  whole 
state  is  rising.  If  we  can  hold  the  fort  a  little 
longer  the  boys  '11  come!" 

Hearty  cheers  responded,  and  Carson  was  ;it 
once  taken  possession  of  by  his  fellow-rangers 
that  they  might  pump  him  of  all  the  news  he 
had  gathered  while  away. 

"Ugh!     Heap  boy  !"  said  Oastro. 

Before  him  stood  Red  Wolf,  ami  during  two 
or  three  minutes  they  talked  rapidly  in  their 
own  tongue.  As  soon  a-  the  chief  ceased 
speaking,  Travis  approached  him  and  held  out 
a  hand. 

"  Glad  Travis  no  dead,"  said  Castro,  heartily. 
"  Where  Big  Knife  ?     Where  Crockett  ?" 

"  Here  we  are !"  responded  the  latter  from  a 
little  behind  him.  "  But  what  on  all  the  'arth 
fetched  you  into  the  fort  jest  now?  Did  the 
Greasers  say  you  might  come  a-visitin'  ?" 

The  Lipan  warrior  turned  on  his  heel  and 


NEARING    THE    END.  295 

stalked  away  to  the  battered  patch  of  the  wall, 
followed  by  his  white  friends.  He  stepped  up 
upon  the  heap  of  ruins  and  studied  it  for  a 
moment. 

"  Castro  see  Mexican,"  he  said.  "  See  Bravo. 
Heap  friend.  Lipans  no  fight  'em.  Tell  'em 
all  Lipans  lie  down  in  lodge.  Tell  Bravo  walk 
through  wall.  Come  back.  Tell  Mexican. 
Bravo  say,  Castro  go  see  fort.  Now !  Ugh  ! 
Tell  Travis,  tell  Big  Knife,  one  sleep.  Mexi- 
can come  take  Texan  hair." 

"Jest  so,"  replied  Crockett.  "They're 
goin'  to  try  that  hole  to-morrow  morning? 
We'll  pile  it  high  with  Greasers." 

"  All  right,  chief,"  added  Travis,  "tell  them 
all  they  want  to  know.  It's  a  fair  trade  for 
letting  us  know  they're  coming.  You  can't 
tell  anything  to  hurt  us." 

"Ugh!"  said  Castro.  "Chief  take  Eed 
Wolf.  Go  hide  in  Santa  Anna  camp.  See 
fight.     Boy  go  tell  Houston  how  Travis." 

"  Good  !"  replied  Travis.  "  Just  the  thing. 
Let  him  set  out  as  soon  as  the  fight  is  over. 
I'd  like  to  have  old  Sam  know  just  how  it  turns 
out.     So  far,  we've  beaten  'em  every  time." 

"  Castro  heap  friend,"  said    the    chief,  and 


296   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

took  from  under  his  blanket  a  deerskin-covered 
parcel  closely  tied.  "  Big  Knife  want  powder. 
Take  present.     Shoot  heap/' 

About  two  pounds  of  the  best  rifle  powder, 
therefore,  was  his  last  contribution  to  the  de- 
fence of  the  fort. 

"  Now  if  that  isn't  just  what  we  wanted  !" 
shouted  Crockett.  "  I  say,  Bowie,  divide  fair. 
I've  only  five  charges  myself.     Pistols  empty." 

Some  of  the  others  were  as  badly  off,  and 
shortly  afterwards  it  mighl  have  been  noted 
that  Bowie's  belt  fairly  bristled  with  the  short- 
barrelled  but  deadly  weapons  known  as  "  Der- 
ringers," from  the  name  of  their  manufacturer. 

"There  is  going  to  be  a  use  for  them,"  he 
quietly  remarked  to  Travis.  "  If  I'm  not  mis- 
taken, every  bullet  '11  find  a  mark  to-morrow." 

"Look  out,"  returned  Travis.  "  Don't  you 
go  and  get  yourself  only  wounded." 

"No!"  almost  shouted  Bowie.  "But  what 
if  I  am  ?  Could  I  quit  if  there  was  a  breath 
of  life  left  in  me  ?  Travis,  they  don't  intend 
to  take  any  prisoners." 

"There  won't  be  any  to  take,"  he  replied, 
but  his  friend  drew  him  aside,  farther  out  of 
any  risk  of  being  heard  by  others. 


NEARING    THE    END.  297 

"One  thing  more,"  said  Bowie.  "I  want 
to  get  together  all  the  men  that  went  down 
into  Mexico  with  me.  Crockett,  too.  The 
chief  and  his  son  are  going.  They  don't  count 
just  now.  They'll  never  tell  anyhow,  but 
somebody  ought  to  live  and  keep  that  treasure- 
secret.     It  must  be  found  for  Texas  some  day." 

"  We  might  draw  cuts  for  a  man  to  get  away 
with  it,"  suggested  Travis,  "  but  he'd  have  no 
chance.  I  don't  see  what  we  can  do.  You  and 
I  are  sure  to  go  down." 

Castro  and  Red  Wolf  were  standing  by  their 
ponies  in  the  plaza.  They  were  not  members 
of  the  garrison.  They  were  not  white  citizens 
of  Texas.  There  was  no  reason  why  they 
should  remain  to  meet  the  last  onset  of  Santa 
Anna's  army.  Each  of  them  had  done  all  that 
he  could  for  his  personal  friendships. 

"  Ugh  !"  said  Castro.  "  No  want  more  shake 
hand.  Come.  Go  talk  Bravo.  Tell  Mexican 
heap.     Great  chief  lose  friend.     Ugh  !" 

The  gate  had  been  opened  for  them  and  they 
mounted  at  once,  but  as  they  were  passing 
through  the  portal  Red  Wolf  turned  and  took 
a  swift,  earnest  survey  of  the  interior  of  the 
fort.     It  was  all  quiet,  all  peaceful.     The  can- 


298   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONTEZUMAS. 

non  watched  silently  at  their  embrasures.     The 

ranger-  walked  hither  and  thither  unconcern- 
edly. The  church  front  wore  a  calm  and  placid 
look.  The  sun  was  shining  brightly.  Tin- 
one  dark  spot  full  of  evil  omen  was  the  heap 
of  rubbish   in  the  breach  of  the  wall. 

"Ugh  !"  -aid  Red  Wolf,  mournfully.  "  Big 
Knife  fight  a  heap.     Great  chief!" 

Muic  than  oik*  demand  for  surrender  had 
been  sent  in  and  had  been  rejected.  During 
several  day.-,  however,  any  other  communication 
with  the  fori  had  been  strictly  forbidden.  The 
Mexican  general,  uevertheless,  had  not  been  un- 
willing to  permit  the  visit  of  ( !astro,  and  when 
the  chief  returned  now.  In-  speedily  found  him- 
self in  front  of  Santa  Anna's  marquee. 

"  Heap  boy  in  fort,"  he  replied  to  a  question 
from  General  Sesma.  "Great  chief  go  get 
him.     Red  Wolf  no  Texan.     Good!" 

There  was  no  apparent  importance  in  the 
presenee  <>r  absence  of  one  unarmed  young  In- 
dian, and  Santa  Anna  hardly  looked  at  him 
while  he  questioned  his  father  closely  concern- 
ing the  aspect  of  affairs  in  the  fort.  There  was 
no  use  to  the  garrison  to  be  gained  by  Castro's 
concealment  of  anything  that  a  telescope  in  the 


NEARING    THE    END.  299 

camp  could  discover,  but  the  Mexican  com- 
mander exhibited  a  deep  interest  iu  the  exact 
character  and  dimensions  of  the  hole  his  artil- 
lery had  made  in  the  wall. 

"GLramba!"  exclaimed  Castrillon.  "Til 
pitch  a  few  more  shot  into  it  in  the  morning. 
How  many  of  the  rebels  have  we  killed  ?" 

"  Texan  feel  good  !"  replied  Castro.  "  Big 
gun  no  hurt  him." 

Many  and  loud  were  the  execrations  uttered 
when  he  explained  himself  further  and  posi- 
tively affirmed  that  all  their  cannonading  and 
musketry  had  not  disabled  a  solitary  Texan. 

"  We  shall  do  better  to-morrow,"  said  Santa 
Anna,  with  a  cynical  grin.  "  How  are  their 
pro  visions  ?" 

''  Little  eat,"  said  Castro.  "  Texan  lie  in  fort, 
No  make  fire.     Xo  kettle." 

"Short  of  rations,  eh?"  said  General  Cos. 
"  That's  a  point,  general.  We  might  starve 
'em  out.     We  have  lost  a  great  many  men " 

"  We  had  better  lose  twice  as  many,"  sharply 
interrupted  his  commander,  "  than  to  waste 
any  more  time  here.  Houston  is  getting  his 
volunteers  in  hand.  We  must  have  the  Alamo 
to-morrow  if  it  costs  us  a  thousand  men  !" 


300       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

"What  Santa  Anna  say  now  to  great  chief?" 
asked  Castro.     "  What  tell  Lipan  ?" 

His  inquiry  was  made  somewhat  haughtily, 
but  the  response  came  at  once  with  extreme 
graciousness  and  courtesy.  The  Lipans  were 
to  consider  themselves  the  fast  friends  of  the 
Mexican  republic,  their  chief  was  to  call  him- 
self the  brother  of  its  President,  and  (astro 
and  Red  Wolf  were  led  away  t<>  ;i  camp-fire 
where  plentiful  rations  awaited  them.  It  was 
not  a  time  when  the  invaders  of  Texas  were 
willing  to  make  additional  enemies. 

It  was  not  altogether  a  cheerful  time  for 
them.  Really,  the  greatest  element  of  uncer- 
tainty of  success  in  the  proposed  assault  of  the 
fort  was  the  dispirited,  defeated  feeling  that 
prevailed  among  the  Mexican  troops.  It  was 
to  obviate  that  defect  in  their  lighting  qualities 
that  Colonel  Campos,  of  the  infantry,  received 
orders  that  night  to  issue  liberal  rations  of 
aguardiente,  or  Mexican  whiskey,  as  soon  as 
the  several  battalions  should  march  into  their 
respective  positions. 

"  Colonel,"  said  Santa  Anna,  "  their  feathers 
are  down  a  little.  Make  them  so  drunk  they 
won't  know   whether   they  are   killed  or  not. 


XEAEIXG    THE    EXD.  301 

Who  cares?     We  have  plenty   to  take  their 
places  if  we  win  a  victory." 

More  peones  and  rancheros  could  be  expended 
to  any  extent  provided  he  could  retain  his 
autocratic  grip  upon  the  reins  of  power. 

There  were  one  hundred  and  eighty-seven 
persons  within  the  walls  of  the  fort  that  night. 
Six  of  these  were  non-combatants,  including 
two  American  women,  a  Mexican  woman,  a 
negro  slave,  and  two  young  children. 

The  keepers  of  the  secret  of  the  cavern  of 
Huitzilopochtli  held  their  conference.  After  it 
was  concluded  they  selected,  with  careful  delib- 
eration, a  number  of  trustworthy  men,  to  whom, 
under  oath,  they  communicated  the  precious 
information.  If  any  or  all  of  them  should  sur- 
vive, a  full  report  was  to  be  in  like  manner 
made  to  President  Houston  and  other  Texan 
patriots  who  were  named. 

"That's  all  we  can  do,"  remarked  Bowie, 
after  his  precautions  had  been  taken.  "  I  don't 
want  that  expedition  to  die  with  me.  If  any 
of  these  fellows  are  killed  early  in  the  fight, 
we  must  put  in  others  in  their  places." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Crockett.  "  The  Mon- 
tezumas  have  stuck  to  that  stuff  long  enough. 


302       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

But,  'cordin'  to  Castro,  we've  been  and  gone 
and  put  a  death-warrant  on  every  one  of  those 
men.     I  was  thinking  'bout  that." 

"You'd  think!"  exclaimed  Bowie,  "  if  you'd 
seen  what  I  did.  Do  you  know,  there  was  the 
queerest  kind  of  roar  coining  up  out  of  that 
chasm.  I  don't  wonder  the  blood-thirsty 
heathen  were  superstitious  about  it.1' 

"  I'd  like  to  hear  it  some  day,"  said  Crockett. 
"  But  thar's  a  kind  of  ringing  in  my  ears,  any- 
how. Perhaps  it's  from  hearing  so  much  can- 
non music." 

In  the  cavern  of  Huitzilopoehtli  that  night, 
the  treasure-chamber  of  the  Montezumas,  the 
voice  from  the  lower  deep  was  calling  more 
loudly  than  usual. 

"  The  gods  are  disturbed,"  grumbled  the  old 
men  before  the  altar.  "  We  have  nothing  to 
give  them.  They  grow  angry.  What  shall 
we  do  for  the  hunger  of  the  gods?" 

Louder,  at  intervals,  then  seeming  to  die 
away-  and  begin  again,  arose  the  mysterious 
reverberation,  while  the  old  devotees  paused 
from  their  chanting  to  turn  and  glare  into  each 
other's  ferocious  faces. 

It  wTas   only  a  mute    inquiry.     If  no  other 


NEARIXG    THE    END.  303 

supply  should  be  provided,  to  which  of  them 
would  belong  the  next  voluntary  plunge  into 
the  gulf? 

They  were  fewer  than  they  once  had  been. 
There  might  be  none  to  take  their  places.  It 
would  not  do  for  the  altar  of  Huitzilopochtli  to 
be  left  without  servitors  and  the  treasure  with- 
out guardians.  Some  of  them  must  remain 
until  the  return  of  the  gods,  for  these  were 
surely  to  come  again  to  claim  their  own. 

Why,  however,  should  they  at  this  time  feel 
so  strong  a  hunger  and  send  up  so  vehement 
an  outcry?  Had  they  heard  that  sacrifices 
were  about  to  come  ?  If  so,  where  were  the 
expected  victims,  and  whose  hand  should  bring 
them  ? 

It  was  a  question  to  which  no  answer  could 
be  given,  but  the  sacrificial  fire  was  heaped 
with  fuel  until  its  radiance  flickered  like  a 
smile  of  satisfaction  upon  the  vast,  dark  face 
on  the  Avail,  and  the  priests  chanted  on  with  a 
croaking  sound  like  that  of  many  ravens. 

No  morning  ever  came  into  that  cavern,  but 
it  dawned  brightly  upon  the  outside  world, — 
the  morning  of  the  6th  of  March,  1836. 

The  camp  of  the  Mexican  army  was  astir  at 


304   THE  LOST  GOLD  OF  THE  MONT EZU MAS. 

an  early  hour  and  the  artillery  began  its  prac- 
tice-work upon  the  shattered  wall.  Every  gun 
was  aimed  with  care,  for  even  Santa  Anna  was 
using  up  the  last  of  his  cannon-shot. 

There  was  apparently  nothing  doing  in  the 
fort.  It  had  a  lazy  look,  and  the  rangers  hardly 
spoke  to  one  another  as  they  went  about  their 
routine  duties.  They  all  cleaned  their  rifles 
carefully,  counted  their  bullets,  measured  their 
charges  of  powder,  and  now  and  then  they 
would  >troll  to  loop-holes  for  looks  at  the 
Mexican  camp. 

"They  are  forming  tor  the  attack,"  was  the 
word  that  passed  from  man  to  man,  while  the 
iron  missiles,  fairly  well  directed,  fell  fast  upon 
the  frail  barrier  which  had  been  made  at  the 
breach. 

"There  '11  a  good  many  men  drap  in  that 
thar  gap,"  remarked  Crockett.  "  But  they 
won't  all  try  to  come  in  by  that  way." 

The  Mexican  commander  had  indeed  learned 
something  by  experience.  His  storming  col- 
umns were  four  in  number,  and  only  one  of 
them  advanced  toward  the  broken  wall.  An- 
other was  evidently  to  approach  by  the  front, 
where  the  ruins  of  the  gate  had  been  strongly 


NEARIXG    THE    EXD.  305 

propped  up  during  the  night.  The  third  and 
fourth  formed  in  front  of  the  convent  yard 
wall  and  the  church,  and  their  ladders  would 
be  quite  long  enough  to  carry  them  over  the 
former. 

"  We've  got  to  divide,''  said  Travis.  "You 
hold  the  convent  and  church  side,  Bowie. 
They  could  pick  their  way  in,  or  blast  a  hole, 
if  you'd  let  'em.  We'll  take  care  of  the  rest." 
Only  a  few  men  could  be  spared  to  any  of 
the  several  posts  of  danger. 

The  Mexican  batteries  ceased.  The  half- 
drunken  infantry  came  on  at  a  run.  The  last 
cartridges  were  rapidly  and  effectively  fired 
from  the  Texan  cannon.  Down  went  their 
enemies  by  scores,  and  it  looked  as  if  the  pre- 
vious results  were  to  be  repeated,  but  Sergeant 
Daly  now  stepped  back  from  the  gun  he  had 
been  working  and  held  up  a  hand. 

"  All  gone  !"  exclaimed  Travis.  "  Come  on, 
men,  this  four-pounder  is  loaded  yet.  Let's 
bring  it  to  bear  upon  the  breach  and  give  it  to 
them  as  they  come  through." 

The  guns  on  the  church,  three  in  number, 
had  also  been  busy,  but  they  now  ceased  their 
thunder.     Down  went  the  gate  before  the  blows 

20 


306        THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MONTEZUMAS. 

of  the  Mexican  pioneers.  Fast  fell  the  fore- 
most assailants  in  the  fatal  breach,  but  just  as 
Travis  had  swung  around  his  cannon  a  mus- 
keteer from  the  gate  was  within  twenty  feet  of 
him.  He  did  not  miss.  The  calm,  courageous 
smile  upon  the  face  of  the  heroic  commander 
died  away,  for  the  flying  lead  passed  through 
his  brain. 

Numbers  counted  now,  for  the  enemy  were 
within  the  walls,  and  the  remaining  struggle 
was  hand-to-hand. 

Brave  enough  were  the  Mexicans,  but  they 
were  learning  terrible  lessons  of  the  superior 
personal  prowess  of  their  victims.  Not  a  man 
asked  for  quarter.  To  be  only  wounded  and  to 
fall  was  to  be  bayoneted  upon  the  ground.  Five 
who  were  disabled  did  indeed  take  refuge  in 
the  cook-room,  barring  its  door  and  fighting 
still. 

Half-way  between  the  convent  and  the 
church  a  thick  group  of  swordsmen  and  lan- 
cers closed  around  the  old  bear  hunter,  but  he 
did  not  die  alone.  Near  him  lay  half  a  dozen 
of  his  foemen,  and  just  beyond  them  fell  his 
old  friends  Smith  and  Bonham,  hastening  to 
die  at  his  side- 


A  dark,  -tern,  terrible  shape  half  rose  from  a  couch. 


REARING    THE    EXD.  307 

The  last  squad  of  riflemen  stood  in  front  of 
the  main  inside  entrance  of  the  fort  building, 
plying  their  rifles  steadily,  but  the  surge  of 
steel  points  poured  towards  them. 

"Boys!"  exclaimed  Bowie  at  their  head, 
"  I'm  hurt  in  the  leg.  I  can't  stand.  I  must 
do  the  rest  of  it  lying  down." 

His  empty  rifle  fell  from  his  hand  as  he 
climbed  a  stairway  near  him.  Bleeding  and 
faint,  he  staggered  on  to  the  end  of  a  passage, 
and  he  threw  himself  upon  the  couch  in  the 
end  room,  exclaiming, — 

"  I  saw  them  fall !  Xot  a  man  is  left  to  tell 
the  secret  of  the  cavern  !" 

It  was  but  a  moment,  and  then  the  passage- 
way swarmed  with  furious  Mexicans.  From 
room  to  room  they  went,  plying  their  bayonets 
alike  upon  the  living  and  the  dead.  As  they 
entered  the  corner  room,  however,  a  dark, 
stern,  terrible  shape  half  rose  from  a  couch 
with  a  Derringer  in  its  right  hand.  Swift 
reports  followed  each  other  as  rapidly  as  the 
tickings  of  a  clock  till  Bowie's  belt  was 
enrpty.  The  floor  was  strewn  with  corpses,  and 
then,  as  yet  more  of  his  enemies  poured  in,  he 
gained  his  feet  with  a  last  effort,  knife  in  hand. 


308       THE    LOST    GOLD    OF    THE    MOXTEZUMAS. 

It  was  but  for  a  moment.  It  was  the  fierce 
agony  of  a  dying  hero.  The  bayonets  did 
their  work,  and  as  the  stalwart  form  of  the 
dead  borderer  sank  heavily  upon  the  floor,  a 
low  voice  in  the  door-way  exclaimed, — 

"Big  Knife!  Heap  brave!  Great  chief! 
Red  Wolf  go." 

The  Alamo  had  fallen  ! 

The  live  men  in  the  cook-room  surrendered 
to  Castrillon  when  their  last  cartridge  was  -one 
on  promise  of  protection,  but  they  were  sabred 
at  once  on  being  taken  before  Santa  Anna,  who 
now  stood  among  his  Btaff  in  the  middle  of  the 
plaza. 

"  Caramba  !  Kill  them  !"  was  all  the  reply 
he  made  to  tin-  protests  <>t'  Castrillon. 

The  six  non-combatants  were  .-pared  to  tell 
the  story  of  the  defence  and  the  massacre,  but 
the  victory  had  been  a  costly  one.  The  army 
of  Santa  Anna  had  been  so  shattered  that,  when 
he  met  Sam  Houston  and  his  volunteers,  not 
many  days  later,  at  San  Jacinto,  his  eighteen 
hundred  men  were  utterly  defeated  by  about  a 
third  of  their  number  of  Texans,  and  he  lost 
not  only  his  army  of  invasion  but  his  control 
of  Mexican  affairs,  and  Texas  itself. 


REARING    THE    END.  309 

Dark  indeed,  that  day,  was  the  cavern  of 
Huitzilopochtli,  and  all  through  the  early 
hours  the  moaning  sound  came  up  from  the 
chasm.  Then  it  grew  louder,  stronger,  and 
the  worshippers  fled  from  its  brink  to  the  altar. 
They  had  no  victims  to  offer.  Their  chant  was 
almost  drowned  by  the  ominous  roar,  and  the 
hungry  anger  of  the  gods  seemed  to  increase 
momentarily.  Then  it  began  to  die  away, — 
away, — until  at  last  a  kind  of  shout  came  up, 
and  there  was  a  silence.  Excepting  Red  Wolf 
and  his  father,  there  were  now  no  living  per- 
sons, outside  of  the  votaries  of  the  old  faith, 
who  had  any  clue  to  the  hidden  treasure  and 
the  underground  temple  of  the  lost  gods  of 
Mexico.  The  daring  Texan  who  had  learned 
the  secret  had  fallen  fighting  to  the  end,  the 
last  man  of  the  garrison  of  the  Alamo. 


THE    END. 


ELECTROTYPED  AND  PRINTED  BY  J.   B.   LlPPINOOTT  COMPANY.    PHILADELPHIA.   U.8.A. 


Books  for  Boys  by  Popular 
Authors. 

Illustrated.     Crown  8vo.     Cloth,  $1.50  per  volume. 


THE    ORACLE   OF   BAAL. 

A  Narrative  of  some  Curious  Events  in  the  Life  of  Professor  Horatio 
Carmichael,  M.A.  Edited  by  J.  Provand  Webster.  With 
numerous  illustrations  by  Warwick  Goble. 


THE  YOUNG   CASTELLAN. 

A  Tale  of  the  English  Civil  War.     By  George  Manville  Fenn. 
Illustrated. 

TROOPER  ROSS  AND  SIGNAL  BUTTE. 

By  Captain  Charles  King,  U.S.A.      Illustrated  by  Charles  H. 
Stephens. 


CHUMLEY'S    POST. 

A  Story  of  the  Pawnee  Trail.     By  William  O.  Stoddard.     Illus- 
trated by  Charles  H.  Stephens. 


CAPTAIN    CHAP; 

Or,  The  Rolling  Stones.     By  Frank  R.  Stockton.     Illustrated 
by  Charles  H.  Stephens. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


The  Mystery  of  the  Island. 

By  HENRY   KINGSLEY. 

A  Tale  of  Bush  and  Pampas,  Wreck,  and  Treasure  Trove.  By  the 
author  of  "  Geoffrey  Hamlyn,"  *'  Ravenshoe,"  etc.,  etc.  A  new 
edition,  with  illustrations  by  Warne  Browne.    l2mo.    Cloth,  Si. 25. 


The  Wizard  King 

By  DAVID   KER. 
Crown  Svo.     Cloth,  £1.50. 


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deserves  to  be  a  lasting  favorite  with  the  young  people."— Boston  Congrega- 
tionalist. 


Hugh  Melville's  Quest 

By  F.  M.  HOLMES. 

Illustrated.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 


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J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


By  Captain  Charles  King,  U.  S.  A, 


Trooper  Ross  and  Signal  Butte 

Illustrated  by  Charles  S.  Stephens. 

Crown  ,8vo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 


When  Captain  King  sets  his  hand  to  a  boy's  story  he  is  sure  to 
be  an  ideal  creator  of  heroes.  Redskins  and  blue-jackets,  and 
lovely  girls  and  daring  youngsters  are  in  his  dramatic  company ; 
camp-fires,  blazing  villages,  rifle-reports,  and  narrow  escapes.  He 
is  never  coarse  nor  sensational,  but  with  his  sweeping  style  carries 
you  on  from  start  to  finish  like  a  stiff  and  wholesome  breeze. 


"They  are  just  the  stories  to  captivate  the  young  rea der. ."—Philadelphia 
Evening  Bulletin. 

"  Captain  Charles  King  has  never  written  more  captivating  stories  of  frontier 
life  than  the  two  that  are  embraced  in  this  neat  volume  just  issued." — San  Fran- 
cisco Bulletin. 

"  Captain  King  has  done  many  good  things,  but  perhaps  none  better  than 
these  animated  tales,  which  are  full  of  Indians,  good  and  bad,  scouts,  cowboys, 
and  everything  needful  to  keep  a  restless  boy  quiet  on  an  evening." — Philadel- 
phia Evening  Telegraph. 

"  The  list  of  Captain  King's  books  for  boys  is  in  itself  calculated  to  excite 
youthful  imaginations  and  hold  their  attention  unrelaxed  to  the  close.  These  two 
latest  stories  contain  all  the  striking  features  of  its  predecessors,  the  excitement,  the 
fire,  the  geniality,  the  rapidity  that  have  long  delighted  his  large  community  of  boy 
readers." — Boston  Courier. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


The  Boys'  Own  Book  of 
n-Door  Games  and  Recreations, 

A    POPULAR     ENCYCLOPEDIA    FOR    BOYS. 

Edited   by   G.   A.    Hutchinson. 

With  over  700  illustrations.      528  pages.     $1.75. 


It  is  especially  a  boy's  book,  calculated  to  aftord  both  pleasure  and 
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terest. There  are  chapters  on  gymnastic  exercises,  games,  and 
sports  of  all  kinds;  the  boy's  workshop;  how  to  build  boats, 
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triloquism; and  pleasant  and  profitable  occupation  for  spare 
hours. 

"  It  gives  the  boys  such  instruction  as  they  like,  and  will  keep  many  an  active 
boy  employed  in  his  workshop  and  away  from  a  companionship  that  is  hurtful.  It 
is  both  a  useful  and  a  beautiful  book."— Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 


Boys'  Own  Book  of  Out-Door 
Sports. 

UNIFORM    WITH    BOYS'    OWN   BOOK   OF    IN-DOOR   SPORTS. 
Illustrated.     1  vol.     4*0-     Cloth,  gilt,  $1. 75. 


Containing  articles  on  swimming,  boating,  cycling,  hare  and  hounds, 
skating,  lawn-tennis,  foot-ball,  etc.     In  short,  an  encyclopaedia 
of  just  those  things  which  boys  want  to  know  about. 
"This  is  a  capital  book,"  says  the  New  York  Independent.     "  The  illustra- 
tions, diagrams,  and  drawings  are  very  numerous  and  excellent ;  and  the  subject  is 
treated  in  every  aspect  and  variety  by  competent  writers,  who  describe  well  and 
have  the  art  of  lending  a  charm  to  their  dullest  details." 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


The  Girls'  Own  In-Door  Book 

CONTAINING     PRACTICAL     HELP    TO    GIRLS    ON    ALL    MATTERS 
RELATING    TO    THEIR    MATERIAL   COMFORT    AND    WELL-BEING. 

Edited  by  Charles  Peters. 

With  over  150  illustrations.     548  pages.     Square  121110.     Cloth  extra,  $1.75. 


"  It  gives  illustrated  directions  for  acquiring  a  wide  variety  of  practical  and 
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ment, taste,  and  goo^l  ,ense." — New  York  Tribune. 

"  No  more  welcome  present  for  a  girl  just  getting  into  her  teens  could  be  found 
than  this  fine,  well-fi'..ed  volume — a  perfect  storehouse  of  information  and  amuse- 
ment. It  tells  how  to  do  everything  a  girl  would  like  to  do,  and  to  do  it  well,  from 
tatting  to  playing  the  .ioUn  or  organ." — St.  Louis  Republic. 


The  Girls'  Own  Out-Door  Book, 

Edited  by  Charles  Peters, 

EDITOR   OF   'THE   GIRLS*  OWN   IN-DOOR    BOOK." 

180  illustrations.     510  pages      Square  i2mo.     Cloth  extra,  $1.75. 


Contents. — Girlhood;  Out-Door  Recreations;  The  Sea-Side;  Our 
Summer  Holidays ;  Holiday  Needle-Work ;  Sociai  Amusements ; 
Etiquette;  Travelling;  Shopping  and  Marketing;  The  Gardener; 
Fowl  Rearing;  The  Botanist;  The  Ornithologist ;  Knick-Knacks 
made  from  Natural  Objects;  Photography;  Astronomy;  Out- 
Door  Music;  Christian  Work. 

**  All  that  the  work  contains  is  set  forth  with  refinem:n:,  taste,  and  good 
sense." — New  York  Tribune. 

"  With  such  a  table  of  contents,  no  right-minded  and  intelligent  girl  can  fail  to 
reap  pleasure  and  proiit  from  a  careful  study  of  this  volume. '' — San  Francisco 
Bulletin. 

"  A  handsome  voiamc:  that  wiL.  carry  pleasure  and  profi.  where  it  goes." — 
Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"  Let  this  book  be  ound  '.n  every  household  where  there  are  jirls." — Rochester 
(N.  Y.)  Rural  Home.  

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


By  GEORGE    MORGAN. 

John  Littlejohn,  of  J. 

BEING   IN   PARTICULAR   AN 

ACCOUNT    OF    HIS    REMARKABLE    ENTANGLEMENT   WITH    THE    KING'S 

INTRIGUES    AGAINST    GENERAL    WASHINGTON. 

i2mo.       Cloth    extra,    deckle   edges,   $1.25. 


"  George  Morgan's  style  is  strong  and  free,  intensely 
literal  and  vividly  poetic  by  turns,  and  he  has  prepared 
himself  thoroughly  by  knowing  the  scenes  and  studying 
the  historic  incidents  with  the  pains  necessary  for  a  good 
historic  novel.  'John  Littlejohn,  of  J.,'  is  a  tale  of  Rev- 
olutionary times.  It  opens  at  Valley  Forge,  introducing 
amid  lesser-known  officers,  Americans  and  their  French 
and  German  allies,  Washington,  of  course,  and  Hamil- 
ton and  Conway,  the  cabalist,  the  noble  young  Lafayette, 
Baron  Steuben,  and  others  of  distinction.  Out-and-out 
adventure,  intrigues,  with  their  plot  and  counterplot,  the 
romance  of  maiden's  love,  smoothing  the  horrors  and 
compensating  for  the  dangers  and  discomforts  of  grim 
war,  are  here  well  mingled.  The  story  ends  at  the  battle 
of  Monmouth,  in  which  the  treachery  of  Lee,  and  Wash- 
ington's one  recorded  oath  when  he  denounced  and 
insulted  Lee  by  the  word  and  sign  '  Poltroon,'  as  under- 
stood between  soldier  and  soldier,  and  by  his  superb 
presence  turned  defeat  into  victory,  are  told  with  spirit." 
— Boston  Evening  Transcript. 


"  'John  Littlejohn,  of  J.,'  is  a  story  full  of  originality,  of  vitality,  action,  and 
charming  bits  of  descriptive  writing  ;  an  earnest,  able,  and  highly  interesting  pictur* 
of  the  American  Revolution  ;  a  romance  which  must  always  find  an  honored  place 
among  the  comparatively  few  novels  having  a  background  of  American  history. 
.  .  .  The  style  is  a  wonder  of  crispness  and  of  a  kind  of  Shakespearian  happiness. 
The  spirit  is  remarkable,  as  is  also  the  fidelity  to  the  times,  to  place,  and  to  char- 
acter."— Philadelphia  Inquirer. 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY,   PHILADELPHIA. 


By  Mrs.  Molesworth. 

Philippa. 

Illustrated.      i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

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story  tells  of  the  adventures  of  a  young  girl,  Philippa,  who,  in  the  capacity  of  a 
lady's  maid,  accompanies  her  married  sister  on  a  visit  to  the  latter's  connections  by 
marriage.  Many  complications  ensue,  which  are  graphically  told." — Norristown 
Herald.  

Olivia. 

Illustrated.      i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

"  The  girls  everywhere  will  gratefully  thank  Mrs.  Molesworth  for  giving  them 
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perience, to  whom  their  hearts  will  go  out  warmly  as  they  conclude  their  pleasant 
reading  of  her  creation." — Boston  Courier. 


Molesworth  Library  for  Girls. 

OLIVIA.     PHILIPPA. 

2  volumes.     Illustrated.      121110.     Cloth,  $2.50. 

"  Mrs.  Molesworth  is  too  well  known  as  a  successful  and  discriminating  writer 
of  stories  for  girls  to  need  one  word  said  in  her  praise.  Her  name  upon  the  title- 
page  of  a  book  is  sufficient  guarantee  of  its  worthiness  to  be  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  girls  of  the  family." — Boston  Honie  Journal. 

"  This  author  wins  her  host  of  readers  through  her  evident  desire  to  place  them 
in  immediate  touch  with  the  plans,  the  secrets,  the  hopes  and  the  fears  of  her  in- 
imitable characterizations,  and  to  make  them,  at  least,  cognizant  of  every  mystery, 
if  there  be  any,  that  surrounds  the  personale  of  her  stories.  Her  art  as  a  story- 
writer  is  not  emphasized  by  any  subterfuge,  but  one  perceives,  with  ever}-  step,  her 
skill  and  the  wholesome  design  invariably  in  view."— Boston  Courier. 

"  Mrs.  Molesworth  stands  unrivalled  as  a  writer  for  young  girls.  She  under- 
stands the  art  perfectly,  and  never  by  indifference  fails  to  remember  the  essential 
things  that  have  won  for  her  so  many  devoted  readers.  She  knows  just  where  to 
draw  the  line  between  a  girl's  story  and  a  love  story." — Cleveland  Critic. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


By  Amy  E.  Blanchard. 

Betty  of  Wye. 

With  illustrations  by  Florence  P.  England. 
l2mo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

"  It  is  the  story  of  a  little  Maryland  girl  who  grows  from  a  turbulent  girl  into  a 
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reckless  girl  to  see  the  beauty  and  value  of  a  knowledge  of  conventionalities  and 
obedience  to  accepted  standards."— Nino  i'-rk  Outlook. 


Two  Girls. 

With  illustrations  by  Ida  Waugh. 

i2mo.     Cloth.  $1.25. 

"  '  Two  Girls'  is  a  very  pretty  domestic  tale,  by  Amy  E.  Blanchard.  The  title 
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entirely  different  temperament,  and  the  lessons  deducted  from  their  respective 
experiences,  and  the  manner  in  which  each  met  the  daily  troubles  and  tribulations 
of  early  life,  make  the  book  one  of  more  than  ordinary  importance  to  the  young, 
and  especially  to  young  girls  It  is  a  story  with  a  moral,  and  the  moral,  if  rightly 
followed,  cannot  fail  to  influence  the  lives  of  its  readers.  The  two  girls  are  of 
American  product  and  the  plot  is  laid  in  Southwestern  territory." — St.  Paul 
Dispatch. 

Girls  Together. 

With  illustrations  by  Ida  Waugh. 
i2mo.     Cloth,  $1. 25. 

"  Here  is  a  story  so  realistic,  detailed,  and  full  of  youthful  sentiment  and  enthu- 
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in  reality  so  difficult  to  achieve.  It  is  the  sort  of  description  that  girls  dearly  love 
to  read,  and  is  wholesome  in  tone  and  wide  awake  in  the  telling."—  Portland  Press. 


Blanchard  Library  for  Girls. 

TWO    GIRLS. 
GIRLS  TOGETHER.      BETTY  OF  WYE. 

3  volumes  in  a  box.     Illustrated.     Cloth,  $3-75- 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


A  Comic  History  of 

the  United  States 

By  BILL  NYE. 

With  one  hundred  and  fifty  illustrations  by 
F.  OPPER. 


i2mo.     Cloth  extra,  $2.00. 


CLUB    LIFE    IN    EARLY    NEW    YORK. 


"  The  author's  satire  is  keen,  his  humor  unceasing  ;  but  he  never  has  forgotten 
the  requirements  of  good  taste.  The  book  will  induce  many  a  smile  and  not  a  few 
uproarious  laughs."— Philadelphia  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  Those  who  admire  the  fnnniments  of  Bill  Nye  will  enjoy  many  a  hearty 
laugh  at  his  quaint  and  curious  way  of  presenting  historical  facts." — Boston  Satur- 
day Evening  Gazette. 

"One  cannot  forbear  a  smile  over  these  truly  comic  sketches."—  Public 
Ledger,  Philadelphia. 

"  Everybody  with  any  sense  of  humor  in  their  souls  will  be  entertained— and 
instructed,  too— by  its  perusal."— Boston  Home  Journal. 

"  The  greatest  enjoyment  will  be  derived  from  it."—  Chicago  Journal. 

"  The  book  is  bound  to  be  a  great  success."—  New  York  School  Journal. 

"  The  best  thing  Bill  Nye  has  ever  done.  There  is  real  worth  in  it."—  Phila- 
delphia  To- Day. 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


BILL   NYE'S   POSTHUMOUS   WORK. 

A  Comic  History  of  England. 

From  the  Druids  to  the  Reign  of  Henry  VIII. 

By     BILL     NYE. 

Profusely  illustrated  by  W.  M.  Goodes  and  A.  M.   Richards. 
Crown  8vo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

"  It  is  Nye's  masterpiece." 
.S7.  Louis  Post-Dispatch. 

"  It  is  written  in  the  au- 
thor's best  vein." — Pittsburg 
Chronicle  Telegraph. 

"The  fun  of  the  book  is 
good  and  well  sustained,  and 
the  illustrations  are  amusing." 
— Boston  Congregationalist . 

"  There  is  a  vast  amount  of 
fun  to  be  found  between  the 
covers  of  this  book.  Many  a 
hearty  laugh  will  end  in  a  sigh 
of  regret  that  the  time  is  past 
when  any  new  work  from  Mr. 
Nye's  pen  will  move  the  world 
to  laughter.  How  surely  does 
he  find  the  weak  spot  and  dance  upon  it  to  the  delectation  of  his  crowd  of  ad- 
mirers !  How  absolutely  absurd  he  makes  those  ancient  monarchs  and  their 
reigns !  What  fun  history  is  viewed  across  the  pages  of  this  humorist's  book ! 
His  satire  is  so  keen,  so  amusing!  W.  M.  Goodes  and  A.  M.  Richards  have 
added  greatly  to  the  humor  of  the  book  by  their  illustrations.  Twenty  pages  of 
these  complete  the  work  left  unfinished  by  the  illness  and  death  of  the  author." — 
Cleveland  Critic. 

"  This  comic  History  of  England  was  evidently  written  in  the  author's  best 
vein  of  humor,  as  well  as  with  the  strong  attempt  of  making  a  funny  history  an 
instructive  one  ;  for,  throughout,  he  follows  and  adheres  to  dates  and  events  with  an 
historian's  accuracy.  The  illustrations  are  no  small  portion  of  its  attractiveness, 
adding  greatly  to  an  appreciation  of  the  text,  as  they  certainly  do." — Boston 
Courier. 


JOAN   OF    ARC    INDUCES   THR    KING   TO    BELIEVE 
THE   TRUTH    OF    HER    MISSION. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


LUMI^     ■*       rTOSlNG  TIMB 


-*B!irtD    JUL^JZa^in-j 


LD  21-100m-7,'40(6936s) 


M18908 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


